countershading
noun
coun·ter·shad·ing
| \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌshā-diŋ
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Definition of countershading
: cryptic coloration of an animal with parts normally in shadow being light and parts normally illuminated being dark thereby reducing shadows and contours
Examples of countershading in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tree kangaroos show countershading, Holtz says, and the forest-dwelling raccoon dogs wear color patterns much like Sinosauropteryx. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "This Adorable Bandit-Faced Dinosaur Will Steal Your Heart," 26 Oct. 2017 Modern-day predators rely on an object’s shading to assess its shape, Vinther explains, and when prey is darker on top than on the bottom, a color scheme known as countershading, shadows are minimized and the animals look flatter. — National Geographic, "This Dinosaur Wore Camouflage," 14 Sep. 2016 A beautifully colored dinosaur fossil is the first to show evidence of countershading, a type of camouflage. — National Geographic, "This Dinosaur Wore Camouflage," 14 Sep. 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'countershading.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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