metamorphic

American  

[met-uh-mawr-fik] / ˌmɛt əˈmɔr fɪk /

adjective

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

2. Geology. pertaining to or exhibiting structural change or metamorphism.

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metamorphic British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or resulting from metamorphosis or metamorphism

2. (of rocks) altered considerably from their original structure and mineralogy by pressure and heat Compare igneous sedimentary

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metamorphic Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-môr′fĭk /

1. Zoology Relating to metamorphosis.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmetamorphic adjective
• premetamorphic adjective
• unmetamorphic adjective

Etymology

Origin of metamorphic

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

Example Sentences

One thing about the PVP that delights Coffey is that it is composed of all three kinds of rock — sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.

From Los Angeles Times

A team co-led by Southwest Research Institute found evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt.

From Science Daily

But on other worlds, it’s more typical to find metamorphic rocks forged in the split-second shock of a meteoroid impact.

From National Geographic

“Granite and slate,” he said each time we visited, “maybe a little soapstone, sprinkled with limestone and quartz. Minerals galore! It’s a smorgasbord of metamorphic marvels!”

From Literature

A lot of bodies that are depicted but not in a traditional way, but rather distorted, expanded in a metamorphic phase.

From Los Angeles Times