Melanoid
/ˈmɛl.ə.nɔɪd/noun
Resembling melanin or having a dark pigmentation.
Did you know?Its first element comes from Greek melas, meaning “black,” the same ancient root behind words like melancholy and melanin, giving it a long linguistic shadow.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to be dark, black”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέλας (mélas)
“black, dark”
Modern scientific Greek
Greek
μελαν- (melan-)
“black, dark; used in learned compounds”
19th Century
English
melanoid
“resembling melanin or a dark pigment”
Modern English
English
melanoid
“resembling melanin or having a dark pigmentation”
Explore more surprising origins