A person or animal that lacks normal skin pigmentation, resulting in white or very pale skin, light hair, and often pink eyes.
From Spanish and Portuguese 'albino', derived from Latin 'albus' meaning 'white'. The term was first widely used in European languages to describe people and animals observed in Africa and the Americas.
Albinism isn't just about appearance—it's a genetic condition that affects how melanin is produced, which actually causes vision problems in addition to the pale appearance. Despite being relatively rare (about 1 in 20,000 people), albino animals are over-represented in mythology and media, from white lions in The Lion King to white whales in Moby Dick.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.