polymorph
[pol-ee-mawrf]
- Biology. an organism having more than one adult form, as the different castes in social ants.
- Crystallography. any of the crystal forms assumed by a substance that exhibits polymorphism.
- Anatomy. granulocyte.
Show More
Origin of polymorph
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
polymorph
- a species of animal or plant that exhibits polymorphism
- any of the crystalline forms of a chemical compound that exhibits polymorphism
- Also called: polymorphonuclear leucocyte any of a group of white blood cells that have lobed nuclei and granular cytoplasm and function as phagocytes; they include neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils
Show More
Word Origin
C19: from Greek polumorphos having many forms
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
Word Origin and History for polymorph
n.
"organism of several forms," 1828, from Greek polymorphos "of many forms" (see polymorphous).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper