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met·a·mor·pho·sis

(mĕt′ə-môrfə-sĭs)

n. pl. met·a·mor·pho·ses (-sēz′)

1. A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.

2. A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.

3. Biology Change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal development after the embryonic stage. Metamorphosis includes, in insects, the transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and a caterpillar into a butterfly and, in amphibians, the changing of a tadpole into a frog.

4. A usually degenerative change in the structure of a particular body tissue.

[Latin metamorphōsis, from Greek, from metamorphoun, to transform : meta-, meta- + morphē, form.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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