albino

albino — noun

IPA/ælˈbiː.nəʊ/
KK[ælbˈaɪnˌo]IPA/ælˈbaɪ.noʊ/
  • albinosingular
  • albinosplural

1. an individual whose body makes little or no melanin from birth, so the skin and

1.nounB2
Definition

an individual whose body makes little or no melanin from birth, so the skin and hair are white and the eyes look pink

Example

The white rabbit at the shelter was a true albino with pink eyes.

standalone noun — 'a true albino'

Esme spotted an albino squirrel with pure white fur in the city park garden.

noun as modifier — 'albino squirrel'

Common collocations
  • true albino
  • albino with pink eyes
  • albino in the wild
  • rare albino
Synonyms
  • person with albinism

    the respectful, preferred term for a human being; emphasises the person first

  • leucistic animal

    an animal with partial pigment loss, sometimes mistaken for a true albino

Antonyms
  • pigmented

    having normal colouring

  • melanistic

    having an excess of dark pigment, the opposite of albinism

Usage Note

When referring to a person, 'albino' can be considered offensive because it defines the individual entirely by their medical condition. The preferred respectful terms are 'a person with albinism' or 'someone who has albinism.' For animals and plants, 'albino' remains a standard biological term and is not offensive.

Common Mistakes

He is an albino.
He has albinism.
Calling someone 'an albino' reduces the person to their condition and can be hurtful; use 'person with albinism' instead.
Albino people have red eyes.
People with albinism often have light-sensitive, pinkish eyes.
The eyes are not truly red; the pink colour comes from blood vessels showing through the iris.

albino — adjective

IPA/ælˈbiːnəʊ/
KK[ælbˈaɪnˌo]IPA/ælˈbaɪnəʊ/

Word family

  • albinism
    nounC1
  • albinic
    adjectiveC2
  • albinistic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'albino' is commonly used for animals born without pigment, the respectful term for a person is 'person with albinism' — it puts the individual before the condition. 'Leucistic' describes animals with partial pigment loss, a condition often confused with true albinism. 'White' is a broad colour term, not a genetic description; a white rabbit may or may not be an albino. 'Pale' refers to naturally light skin tone, not a medical absence of melanin. In zoology, 'albino' remains standard; for people, always choose 'has albinism' or 'person with albinism' to show respect.

person with albinismleucistic animalwhite ↗pale ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • person with albinism
  • born with albinism
  • condition called albinism

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinPortugueseSpanishEnglish

Albino entered English in the late 1700s from Portuguese and Spanish 'albino,' meaning 'whitish.' These words come from the Latin 'albus,' meaning 'white.' Portuguese explorers first applied the term in West Africa to describe local people who lacked skin pigment. Over time the word was extended to animals and plants with the same genetic condition.

First known use

1708

1708, in the meaning defined above Adjective