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morpho- or morph-

pref.

1. Form; shape; structure: morphogenesis.

2. Morpheme: morphophonemics.

[Greek, from morphē, shape.]

mor·pho

(môrfō)

n. pl. mor·phos

Any of various large nymphalid butterflies of the genus Morpho of tropical regions of the Americas, noted for the brilliant iridescent blue color of their wings.

[New Latin Morphō, genus name, from Greek, epithet of Aphrodite, perhaps from morphē, shape, 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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