complete metamorphosis
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of complete metamorphosis
First recorded in 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So many species with such a wide range of incomplete to complete metamorphosis!
From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2018
It’s premature to call this a complete metamorphosis.
From Washington Post • May 1, 2015
Other animals, such as some insects and amphibians, undergo complete metamorphosis in which individuals enter one or more larval stages.
From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013
"He went through a complete metamorphosis," says Keane.
From Time Magazine Archive
As Maria discovered, all butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis, which means they move through four very different phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
