pleomorphism

or ple·o·mor·phy

[ plee-uh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun

, Biology.

1. existence of an organism in two or more distinct forms during the life cycle; polymorphism.

pleomorphism

/ ˈpliːəˌmɔːfɪ; ˌpliːəˈmɔːˌfɪzəm /

noun

1. the occurrence of more than one different form in the life cycle of a plant or animal
2. the occurrence of more than one different form of crystal of one chemical compound; polymorphism

Derived Forms

• ˌpleoˈmorphic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pleomorphism¹

First recorded in 1860–65; pleo- + -morph + -ism

Example Sentences

He had described this phenomenon in 1888 in a memoir entitled Pleomorphism of Microbes.

From Project Gutenberg