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• morph
  morph

  noun

  a sequence of phonemes constituting a minimal unit of grammar or syntax, and, as such, a representation, member, or contextual variant of a morpheme in a specific environment.
• morph-
  morph-

  variant of morpho- before a vowel.
• -morph
  -morph

  a combining form meaning “form, structure,” of the kind specified by the initial element.
• morph.
  morph.

  abbreviation

  morphological

morph

¹ American  

[mawrf] / mɔrf /

noun

• morphs
  plural

1. Linguistics. a sequence of phonemes constituting a minimal unit of grammar or syntax, and, as such, a representation, member, or contextual variant of a morpheme in a specific environment.

2. Biology. an individual of one particular form, as a worker ant, in a species that occurs in two or more forms.

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verb (used with object)

1. to transform (an image) by computer.

verb (used without object)

1. to be transformed.

   morphing from a tough negotiator to Mr. Friendly.

morph- ² American  

1. variant of morpho- before a vowel.

   morpheme.

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-morph ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “form, structure,” of the kind specified by the initial element.

   isomorph.

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morph ¹ British  

/ mɔːf /

noun

1. biology any of the different forms of individual found in a polymorphic species

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morph ² British  

/ mɔːf /

noun

1. linguistics the phonological representation of a morpheme

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morph ³ British  

/ mɔːf /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo morphing

2. to transform or be transformed completely in appearance or character

   he morphed from nerd into pop icon

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noun

1. a morphed image

morph. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. morphological

2. morphology

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-morph ⁵ British  

combining form

1. indicating shape, form, or structure of a specified kind

   ectomorph

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morph Scientific  

/ môrf /

1. A phenotypically distinct form of an organism or species.

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Usage

What does morph- mean? Morph- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “form, structure.” It is often occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology and linguistics. Morph- comes from Greek morphḗ, meaning “form.”What are variants of morph-?Morph- is a variant of morpho-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Additional related combining forms include -morphic, -morphism, and -morphous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on all four combining forms.

What does -morph mean? The combining form -morph is used like a suffix meaning “form, structure.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. Historically, -morph has been used in the pseudoscience of somatotype, which seeks to typify body shapes. The form -morph ultimately comes from Greek morphḗ, meaning “form.” The equivalent combining form from Latin is -form, from -fōrmis, meaning “having the form of.”What are variants of -morph?The form -morph is related to the forms -morphous and -morphic, meaning "having the shape, form, or structure." Other related forms are -morphism, morph-, and morpho-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on all five forms.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• morphic
  adjective
• -morphic
  combining form
• -morphy
  combining form

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• morphs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of morph¹

1945–50; back formation from morpheme, or independent use of -morph

Origin of -morph³

< Greek -morphos; see -morphous

Explanation

To morph is to change from one shape to another. A cute bunny, for example, might morph into a killer dragon in a fairy tale or an animated film. Morph comes from the word metamorphosis, which is a Greek word meaning "a transforming." As a verb, it has only been around since the 1980s, when computers allowed animators to make things change shape in an apparently seamlessly way. With the right skills, you can morph a toaster into a highly intelligent robot that helps fight crime, offers dating advice to the protagonist of the film, and still makes an excellent piece of toast.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

morph morph. morphs

The media take an interest, but the volcanologists have learned how damaging it can be when volcanic uncertainties morph into a full-blown dispute, played out in public.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Infantino was eventually cleared by that probe but another pattern soon emerged, one that saw the president morph from a soccer bureaucrat into someone who believes he should be mixing with presidents and kings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The lemon frost morph originated from a spontaneous genetic mutation that appeared during selective breeding in a large colony of leopard geckos.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Damian and his PhD student Danny Walmsley spend about 15 minutes wiring me up as I slowly morph into some kind of partially robotic lifeform.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

The ripples made from the breach morph into waves that slash against the ship, nearly tipping us over.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

“We want this idea to spread and to morph. There’s no standard template for how you get neighbors together to garden. This is by definition a dynamic process; you never know what’s going to happen.”

From Washington Times ● Jun. 4, 2017

“Later, Shay. I can’t believe you don’t have a single morph. Please.”

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

He cuts a calm individual in interviews, but morphs into a rampaging figure on the training pitches, even physically moving his coaches to demonstrate the intensity he is after.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The findings, published in the open access journal Evolutionary Systematics, documented 32 different color forms, or "morphs," collected from three locations in Uttarakhand: Makku, Tala, and Mandal.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

When indignation morphs into a tone of “I told you so,” it will be flipped against us.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

About 10 miles beyond the elephant seals, the raw, horizontal coastal landscape morphs into a more vertical scene and the highway begins to climb and twist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

Claudine's body morphs so quickly I can't identify all the changes.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• alter
• modify
• transform