polymorph
[ pol-ee-mawrf ]
/ ˈpɒl iˌmɔrf /
noun
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.
RELATED WORDS
assorted, changeable, different, discrete, disparate, distinct, distinctive, divers, diverse, diversified, heterogeneous, individual, legion, manifold, many, many-sided, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, multifarious
Nearby words
- polymerism,
- polymerization,
- polymerize,
- polymerous,
- polymethyl methacrylate,
- polymorphic function,
- polymorphic reticulosis,
- polymorphism,
- polymorphocellular,
- polymorphonuclear
Origin of polymorph
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for polymorphic
polymorph
/ (ˈpɒlɪˌmɔːf) /
noun
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
Word Origin for polymorph
C19: from Greek polumorphos having many forms
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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polymorph
"organism of several forms," 1828, from Greek polymorphos "of many forms" (see polymorphous).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper