Metamorphoses

[ met-uh-mawr-fuh-seez ]

/ ˌmɛt əˈmɔr fəˌsiz /

Save This Word!

noun

a series of mythological tales or legends in verse (a.d. 7–8) by Ovid.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby Metamorphoses

metamorphic, metamorphic facies, metamorphic rock, metamorphism, metamorphose, Metamorphoses, metamorphosis, metamorphous, metanalysis, metanarrative, metanephros

How to use Metamorphoses in a sentence

The source is Ovid’s famous epic poem about transformations, Metamorphoses.
What the Greek Myths Can Teach Us About Our Moment of Crisis|Charlotte Higgins|January 19, 2022|Time
From Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” to the Marvel Universe, bodily transformation has been portrayed as something extraordinary.
In the galleries: Building on an artwork expressed via different media|Mark Jenkins|April 23, 2021|Washington Post
The transformations contained in The Pregnant Widow (as in "The Metamorphoses") are sexual, physical, and philosophical, too.
Martin Amis' Sexual Revolution|Olivia Cole|May 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Versailles will continue its metamorphoses, but these glittering images will remain still.
Escapism|Rachel Hulin|October 24, 2008|DAILY BEAST

Ainsworth gives authority for "hospes" meaning host as well as guest, and quotes Ovid's Metamorphoses in support of it.
Notes and Queries, Number 178, March 26, 1853|Various
Jupiter is mentioned in Ovid's Metamorphoses immediately after the description of the golden, silver, brazen, and iron ages.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
The god Khepra with folding wings symbolized these metamorphoses.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer
The history of our planet is the history of life, with all its metamorphoses.
Astronomy for Amateurs|Camille Flammarion
An example of the turn on words, amongst a thousand others, is that in the last book of Ovid's "Metamorphoses:"
Dryden's Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals|John Dryden

Cultural definitions for Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses

[ (met-uh-mawr-fuh-seez) ]

A long poem by the ancient Roman poet Ovid, in which he relates numerous stories from classical mythology. Many of the stories deal with miraculous transformations, or metamorphoses.