English Explanatory Dictionary

metamorphosis

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A transformation, such as one performed by magic.
  2. A noticeable change in character, appearance, function, or condition.
  3. A change in the form and often habits of an animal after the embryonic stage during normal development (e.g. the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or a tadpole into a frog).
  4. A change, usually degenerative, in the structure of a specific body tissue.

Pronunciation

/ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs/ /ˌmɛtəmɔːˈfəʊsɪs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-metamorphosis.wav /ˌmɛtəˈmoɹfəsɪs/ [ˌmɛɾəˈmoɹfəsɪs]

Word forms

metamorphosis metamorphoses

Etymology

First attested in 1533, from Latin metamorphōsis, from Ancient Greek μεταμόρφωσις (metamórphōsis), from μετά (metá, “change”) + μορφή (morphḗ, “form”). Analyzable as meta- + -morph + -osis

Synonyms

development transfiguration transmutation conversion metamorphosis transfigurement transformation transmogrification sea change

Related words

metamorphic metamorphose metamorphosize metamorphism

Derived words

hemimetamorphosis holometamorphosis hypermetamorphosis intermetamorphosis metamorphosic metamorphosist metramorphosis prometamorphosis semimetamorphosis ultrametamorphosis
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