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holometabolous

[hol-oh-mi-tab-uh-luh s, hoh-loh-]
See more synonyms for holometabolous on Thesaurus.com
adjective Entomology.
  1. undergoing complete metamorphosis.
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Also hol·o·met·a·bol·ic [hol-oh-met-uh-bol-ik, hoh-loh-] /ˌhɒl oʊˌmɛt əˈbɒl ɪk, ˌhoʊ loʊ-/.

Origin of holometabolous

1865–70; holo- + Greek metabólos; see metabolism, -ous
Related formshol·o·me·tab·o·lism, hol·o·me·tab·o·ly, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for holometabolous

Historical Examples

  • Holometabolous: having a complete transformation; with egg, larval, pupal and adult stages distinctly separated.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology

    John. B. Smith