metamorphic

[ met-uh-mawr-fik ]

/ ˌmɛt əˈmɔr fɪk /

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adjective

pertaining to or characterized by change of form, or metamorphosis.

Geology. pertaining to or exhibiting structural change or metamorphism.

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Origin of metamorphic

First recorded in 1810–20; meta- + -morphic

OTHER WORDS FROM metamorphic

non·met·a·mor·phic, adjectivepre·met·a·mor·phic, adjectiveun·met·a·mor·phic, adjective

Words nearby metamorphic

metamer, metamere, metameric, metamerism, metamict, metamorphic, metamorphic facies, metamorphic rock, metamorphism, metamorphose, Metamorphoses

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use metamorphic in a sentence

While Schindler takes a philosophical view of physical change, other participants highlight the metamorphic quality of their artistic methods.
In the galleries: Building on an artwork expressed via different media|Mark Jenkins|April 23, 2021|Washington Post
Thus, after the Capitol was burned during the War of 1812, reconstruction made use of marble — a harder, metamorphic rock found on the upper Potomac.
Hiking along Virginia’s Aquia Creek and finding history a stone’s throw from home|Walter Nicklin|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
It’s an often overlooked area full of bizarre rock features, metamorphic leftovers, and historic trails, and with only an eighth of Yellowstone’s annual visitation, it’s ripe for discovery.
Teetering on the Edge of Volcanoes|Emily Pennington|March 3, 2021|Outside Online
She has been working with David Baker at the University of Washington on designing metamorphic proteins not seen in nature.
Some Proteins Change Their Folds to Perform Different Jobs|Viviane Callier|February 3, 2021|Quanta Magazine

These metamorphic proteins change quickly and reversibly from one folded shape to another inside organisms.
Some Proteins Change Their Folds to Perform Different Jobs|Viviane Callier|February 3, 2021|Quanta Magazine
The "erratics" comprised a great variety of metamorphic and igneous rocks, and, on a more limited scale, sedimentary types.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
The rock here is metamorphic, the soil worthless, the scenery rugged, yet mean.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 86, December, 1864|Various
It occurs in beds (talc-slate), and is often met with in districts occupied by metamorphic crystalline rocks.
Geology|James Geikie
Thus, highly micaceous sandstones, as they are traced into a metamorphic region, are seen to pass gradually into mica-schist.
Geology|James Geikie
There are a number of other metamorphic rocks, but those mentioned are the most commonly occurring species.
Geology|James Geikie

British Dictionary definitions for metamorphic

metamorphic

metamorphous

/ (ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪk) /

adjective

relating to or resulting from metamorphosis or metamorphism

(of rocks) altered considerably from their original structure and mineralogy by pressure and heatCompare igneous, sedimentary

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for metamorphic

metamorphic

[ mĕt′ə-môr′fĭk ]

Zoology Relating to metamorphosis.

Geology Relating to rocks that have undergone metamorphism. Metamorphic rocks are formed when igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks undergo a physical change due to extreme heat and pressure. These changes often produce folded layers or banding in the rocks, and they can also cause pockets of precious minerals to form. The folds and banding can be produced by incomplete segregation of minerals during recrystallization, or they can be inherited from preexisting beds in sedimentary rocks or preexisting layers in igneous rocks. The precious minerals can form as the result of recrystallization when the rocks undergoing metamorphism are subjected to changes in pressure and temperature.