especially: a human being who is congenitally deficient in pigment and usually has a milky or translucent skin, white or colorless hair, and eyes with pink or blue iris and deep-red pupil
: exhibiting the deficient pigmentation characteristic of albinos
albino sharks
The Draize test commonly uses six rabbits (preferably of the albino strain because of the clarity of their red eyes) to test a substance for eye irritancy. Rachel Urquhart
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Some of Ukerewe's albinos were rescued from communities for their own protection. Thomas Page, CNN, 13 June 2017 True albinos are unable to produce any kind of pigment, hence their white coloration and pink eyes: Blood vessels normally masked by eye color show through.National Geographic, 28 Jan. 2016
Word History
Etymology
Noun
borrowed from Spanish & Portuguese; Portuguese albino, borrowed from Spanish, noun derivative of albino, adjective, "lacking in pigment," from albo "white" (borrowed from Latin albus) + -ino-ine entry 1 — more at album
Adjective
borrowed from Spanish, "lacking in pigment" — more at albino entry 1
Note: Alternatively the adjective could be from attributive use of the noun.