industrial melanism

noun

: genetically determined melanism as a population phenomenon especially in moths in which the proportion of dark individuals tends to increase due to differential predation especially by birds which more easily find and eat lighter-colored individuals in habitats darkened by industrial pollution

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of industrial melanism was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near industrial melanism

Cite this Entry

“Industrial melanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrial%20melanism. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on industrial melanism

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!