melanocyte

M3E1L1A1N1O1C3Y4T1E1

noun

A cell in the skin that produces the pigment melanin.

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Meanings

nounmelanocyte (plural melanocytes)

plural melanocytes

  1. biochemistryA cell in the skin that produces the pigment melanin.

    As previously stated, it is pigmented, this pigmentation depending upon the so-called melanocytes.

    1905, Willy Edward Alexander Wyman, Catechism of the Principles of Veterinary Surgery, page 06

Origin

From melano- + -cyte.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan melanòcit
  • melanòcitpigment cell
Chinese Mandarin 黑素細胞 /黑素细胞
  • 黑素細胞 /黑素细胞 (hēisù xìbāo)pigment cell
Finnish melanosyytti
  • melanosyyttipigment cell
French mélanocyte
  • mélanocytepigment cell
German Melanozyt
  • Melanozytpigment cell
Greek μελανοκύτταρο
  • μελανοκύτταρο (melanokýttaro)pigment cell
Hindi असिताणु
  • असिताणु (asitāṇu)pigment cell
Hungarian melanocita
  • melanocitapigment cell
Polish melanocyt
  • melanocytpigment cell
Portuguese melanócito
  • melanócitopigment cell
Russian меланоцит
  • меланоцит (melanocit)pigment cell
Spanish melanocito
  • melanocitopigment cell
Swedish melanocyt
  • melanocytpigment cell
Cite this entry
APA

melanocyte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melanocyte

MLA

“melanocyte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melanocyte. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “melanocyte,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melanocyte.

Source: melanocyte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.