Definition of "pigment" []

• A substance used as coloring. (noun)
• Dry coloring matter, usually an insoluble powder, to be mixed with water, oil, or another base to produce paint and similar products. (noun)
• A substance, such as chlorophyll or melanin, that produces a characteristic color in plant or animal tissue. (noun)
• To color with pigment. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "My guess is the cop was driving through the n'hood and saw a guy with too much skin pigment for that area, and overreacted."
• "Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder characterized by loss of skin pigment, has left much of his face and hands pale."
• "Fuzzy, varying skin pigment absorbs light of varyin degree."