morph

1 of 5

noun

ˈmȯrf 

1

a

: allomorph

b

: a distinctive collocation of phones (such as a portmanteau form) that serves as the realization of more than one morpheme in a context (such as the French du for the sequence of de and le)

2

a

: a local population of a species that consists of interbreeding organisms and is distinguishable from other populations by morphology or behavior though capable of interbreeding with them

b

: a phenotypic variant of a species

morph

2 of 5

verb

morphed; morphing; morphs

transitive verb

: to change the form or character of : transform

intransitive verb

: to undergo transformation

especially : to undergo transformation from an image of one object into that of another especially by means of computer-generated animation

morph

3 of 5

abbreviation

morphology

morph-

4 of 5

combining form

variants or morpho-

1

: form

morphogenesis

2

: morpheme

morphophonemics

-morph

5 of 5

noun combining form

: one having (such) a form

isomorph

Examples of morph in a Sentence

Verb

The picture of a dog morphed into a picture of a cat.

Using the new software, we morphed a picture of a dog into a picture of a cat.

a quiet college student who has morphed into a glamorous actress

He is trying to morph himself into a different person.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Drinks at Low Tea in the late afternoon morph into clubbing at High Tea into the wee hours of the night. —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2024

They are made of paraffin wax, which easily melts and morphs. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2024

Verb

Almodóvar, now 75, offers his response, giving us a gentle but vibrant character study that consistently teases the possibility of morphing into a thriller. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

However, when left unchecked, ambition can morph into a toxic force that blinds individuals to ethical considerations. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

back-formation from morpheme

Verb

short for metamorphose

Combining form

German, from Greek, from morphē

Noun combining form

International Scientific Vocabulary, from -morphous

First Known Use

Noun

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1982, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

morph

verb

ˈmȯrf

: to change in form or character

Etymology

Verb

short for metamorphose "to change in form"

Medical Definition

morph

abbreviation

1

morphological

2

morphology