allomorph

[ al-uh-mawrf ]

noun

1. any of two or more different forms of the same chemical compound.
2. Linguistics. one of the alternate contextually determined phonological shapes of a morpheme, as en in oxen, which is an allomorph of the English plural morpheme. Compare morph.
3. Mineralogy. paramorph.

allomorph

/ ˈæləˌmɔːf /

noun

1. linguistics any of the phonological representations of a single morpheme. For example, the final (s) and (z) sounds of bets and beds are allomorphs of the English noun-plural morpheme
2. any of two or more different crystalline forms of a chemical compound, such as a mineral

Derived Forms

• ˌalloˈmorphic, adjective

Other Words From

• allo·morphic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of allomorph¹

First recorded in 1865–70; allo- + -morph

Example Sentences

The property which constitutes an allomorph; the change involved in becoming an allomorph.

From Project Gutenberg