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English Words Starting With M

8,594 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

melanesian pidgin english
nounLow
/ˌmel.əˈniː.zi.ən ˈpɪdʒ.ɪn ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/A group of English-based pidgin and creole languages spoken throughout Melanesia, primarily in Papua New Guinea (Tok Pisin), Solomon Islands (Pijin), and Vanuatu (Bislama).
melange
nounC1/C2
/meɪˈlɒ̃ʒ/A mixture or assortment of different things, often disparate elements combined.
melanie
nounLow
/ˈmɛləni/A female given name, originally from the Greek 'melaina' (μέλαινα), meaning 'black, dark'.
melanin
nounC1/C2 (Low frequency in everyday conversation; common in scientific and socio-cultural contexts)
/ˈmɛl.ə.nɪn/A dark brown to black pigment occurring in the skin, hair, and iris of the eye in humans and animals, responsible for colouration and protecting against ultraviolet radiation.
melanion
nounC2
/mɪˈleɪnɪən/A genus of fruit flies, specifically those in the family Tephritidae.
melanippus
nounVery Low
/ˌmɛləˈnɪpəs/A proper noun; the name of several figures in Greek mythology.
melanism
nounC2
/ˈmɛlənɪz(ə)m/An abnormally dark pigmentation of an organism's skin, fur, feathers, or cuticle, caused by a high concentration of melanin.
melanite
nounVery Rare / Technical
/ˈmɛləˌnʌɪt/A black or dark-coloured variety of the mineral garnet, consisting chiefly of andradite.
melanoblast
nounC2
/ˈmɛlənə(ʊ)ˌblɑːst/A precursor cell that will develop into a melanin-producing cell (melanocyte).
melanochroi
plural-nounExtremely Rare / Obsolete
/ˌmɛləˈnɒkrɔɪ/A dated anthropological term referring to people with dark hair and fair skin.
melanocyte
nounC2
/ˈmɛlənə(ʊ)ˌsʌɪt/A skin cell that produces melanin, the pigment responsible for skin, hair, and eye color.
melanocyte-stimulating hormone
nounC2
/ˌmel.ən.əʊ.saɪtˌstɪm.jʊ.leɪ.tɪŋ ˈhɔː.məʊn/A hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, that stimulates the production and release of melanin (dark pigment) by melanocyte cells in the skin and hair.
melanoderm
nounC2 / Very Low
/ˈmɛlənə(ʊ)ˌdɜːm/A person with dark skin or a dark complexion.
melanoma
nounC1/C2
/ˌmel.əˈnəʊ.mə/A type of skin cancer that develops from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
melanophore
nounVery Low
/ˈmɛlənə(ʊ)fɔː/A type of pigment cell in animals, especially fish, amphibians, and reptiles, that contains melanin and can expand or contract to change skin colour.
melanosis
nounVery Low
/ˌmɛləˈnəʊsɪs/A medical term referring to an abnormal, excessive darkening or deposit of black or dark pigment (melanin) in tissues or organs of the body.
melanosome
nounLow
/ˈmɛlənə(ʊ)səʊm/A specialized organelle within a cell that produces, stores, and transports melanin, the pigment responsible for colour in skin, hair, eyes, and feathers.
melanotropin
nounC2 / Very Low Frequency
/ˌmɛlənə(ʊ)ˈtrəʊpɪn/A peptide hormone that stimulates the melanocytes, causing skin darkening.
melaphyre
nounExtremely Rare
/ˈmɛləfaɪə/A dark, fine-grained igneous rock, typically a porphyritic basalt or andesite.
melatonin
nounB2
/ˌmel.əˈtəʊ.nɪn/A hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain that regulates sleep and wake cycles.

Showing 3441–3460 of 8594 words.