DEPIGMENTATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does depigmentation mean? 

• DEPIGMENTATION (noun)
  The noun DEPIGMENTATION has 1 sense:

1. absence or loss of pigmentation (or less than normal pigmentation) in the skin or hair

  Familiarity information: DEPIGMENTATION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEPIGMENTATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Absence or loss of pigmentation (or less than normal pigmentation) in the skin or hair

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("depigmentation" is a kind of...):

coloration; colouration (appearance with regard to color)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "depigmentation"):

poliosis (loss of color from the hair)

Antonym:

pigmentation (coloration of living tissues by pigment)

 Context examples 

A monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone with topical depigmentation activity.

(Monobenzone, NCI Thesaurus)

Furthermore, the depigmentation effect might be mediated through the inhibition of tyrosinase, which is essential in the synthesis of melanin pigments, thereby causing permanent depigmentation of the skin.

(Monobenzone, NCI Thesaurus)

Although the exact mechanism of action of depigmentation is unknown, the metabolites of monobenzone appear to have a cytotoxic effect on melanocytes.

(Monobenzone, NCI Thesaurus)