metamorphism

[ met-uh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun
  1. Geology. a change in the structure or constitution of a rock due to natural agencies, as pressure and heat, especially when the rock becomes harder and more completely crystalline.

  2. Archaic. metamorphosis.

Origin of metamorphism

1
First recorded in 1835–45; meta- + -morphism

Words Nearby metamorphism

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How to use metamorphism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for metamorphism

metamorphism

/ (ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the process by which metamorphic rocks are formed

  2. a variant of metamorphosis

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 metamorphism

metamorphism

[ mĕt′ə-môrfĭz′əm ]


  1. The process by which rocks are changed in composition, texture, or structure by extreme heat and pressure.♦ In prograde metamorphism metamorphic rocks that were formed under low pressure and temperature conditions undergo a second metamorphic event in which they are exposed to higher pressures and temperatures.♦ In retrograde metamorphism metamorphic rocks that were formed under high pressure and temperature conditions undergo a second metamorphic event in which they are exposed to lower pressures and temperatures. See more at contact metamorphism regional metamorphism.

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