polymorphous

[pol-ee-mawr-fuhs]

adjective

1. having, assuming, or passing through many or various forms, stages, or the like.

2. polymorphic.

polymorphous

/ ˌpɒlɪˈmɔːfəs /

adjective

1. having, taking, or passing through many different forms or stages

2. (of a substance) exhibiting polymorphism

3. (of an animal or plant) displaying or undergoing polymorphism

Word History and Origins

Origin of polymorphous¹

First recorded in 1775–85, polymorphous is from the Greek word polýmorphos “multiform”; poly-, -morphous

Example Sentences

On her canvases, polymorphous, shape-shifting figures collide and intertwine; heads multiply; limbs get entangled with each other.

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Christopher Stephen Clark, the English musician who records as Clark, has built a huge, polymorphous catalog of instrumental music that ranges from stark, austere techno to exquisite chamber-music soundtracks.

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Viewed today, the show’s quirky communitarianism — its idea of America as a polymorphous, all-welcoming dance party — feels like both celebration and requiem for the irreplaceable delight dancing together on a stage.

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And on a dresser in the bedroom, another Picasso plate offsets a quirky, multicolored polymorphous work in fiberglass by the French contemporary sculptors known as Les Simonnet.

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As a matter of historical record, it was Greek and Roman high society, not the Jews, that practiced and preached polymorphous sexual freedom.

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