morph

¹

[ mawrf ]

noun

1. Linguistics. a sequence of phonemes constituting a minimal unit of grammar or syntax, and, as such, a representation, member, or contextual variant of a morpheme in a specific environment. Compare allomorph ( def 2 ).
2. Biology. an individual of one particular form, as a worker ant, in a species that occurs in two or more forms.

verb (used with object)

1. to transform (an image) by computer.

verb (used without object)

1. to be transformed:

   morphing from a tough negotiator to Mr. Friendly.

morph-

²

1. variant of morpho- before a vowel:

   morpheme.

-morph

³

1. a combining form meaning “form, structure,” of the kind specified by the initial element:

   isomorph.

morph

¹

/ mɔːf /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo morphing
2. to transform or be transformed completely in appearance or character

   he morphed from nerd into pop icon

noun

1. a morphed image

-morph

²

combining form

1. indicating shape, form, or structure of a specified kind

   ectomorph

morph

³

/ mɔːf /

noun

1. biology any of the different forms of individual found in a polymorphic species

morph

⁴

/ mɔːf /

noun

1. linguistics the phonological representation of a morpheme

morph.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. morphological
2. morphology

morph

/ môrf /

1. A phenotypically distinct form of an organism or species.

Derived Forms

• -morphy, combining_form:in_noun:countable
• -morphic, combining_form:in_adjective

Other Words From

• morphic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of morph¹

1945–50; back formation from morpheme, or independent use of -morph

Origin of morph²

< Greek -morphos; -morphous

Word History and Origins

Origin of morph¹

from Greek -morphos, from morphē shape

Origin of morph²

C20: from Greek morphē shape

Origin of morph³

C20: shortened form of morpheme

Example Sentences

Some of his answers can morph into four or five-minute monologues on playing patterns or counter-pressing; the former Wales captain only coming up for air when he apologises, while grinning, for going off on another tangent.

From BBC

But we morph in unexpected ways, like the natural landscape around us, contracting and expanding, cracking in places, melting in others and ultimately sprouting with new life.

From Los Angeles Times

We morph in unexpected ways, like the natural landscape around us, contracting and expanding, cracking in places, melting in others and ultimately sprouting with new life.

From Los Angeles Times

Without the ball, Napoli play a 4-3-3 but in possession, they morph into a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-2-4 with the ex-Manchester United midfielder often lining up alongside Lukaku at the very top.

From BBC

In Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie à Deux," musician Lady Gaga ditches her pop star digs to morph into an unrecognizable version of the character.

From Salon

Related Words

• alter
• modify
• transform

Words That Use morph-

What does morph- mean?

Morph- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “form, structure.” It is often occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology and linguistics.

Morph- comes from Greek morphḗ, meaning “form.”

What are variants of morph-?

Morph– is a variant of morpho–, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Additional related combining forms include –morphic, –morphism, and –morphous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on all four combining forms.

Examples of morph-

One example of a scientific term that features the form morph– is morphosis, “the sequence or manner of development or change in an organism or any of its parts.” The word morphosis comes from Greek mórphōsis, which uses the equivalent of morph– in that language.

As we have seen, morph– means “form,” and the –osis portion of the word refers to “action” or “state of being,” from Greek –ōsis. Morphosis literally means “the state of forms.”

What are some words that use the combining form morph-?

• morphactin
• morphallaxis
• morpheme (using the equivalent form of morph– in French)
• morpholine
• morpholino

What are some other forms that morph– may be commonly confused with?

• multi-
• myria-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters morph-, such as morphine, is necessarily using the combining form morph– to denote “form.” Learn how the drug morphine got its name at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The suffix –eme is used in linguistics to mean “significant unit.” With this in mind, what does morpheme mean?