shapeshifter

[sheyp-shif-ter]

noun

1. a fictional being that can transform itself from one physical form into another.

   Zeus was a great shapeshifter, taking many unexpected forms, including that of a swan, a gopher, a cloud, and even a shower of gold.

Other Word Forms

• shapeshift verb (used without object)
• shapeshifting noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shapeshifter¹

First recorded in 1885–90; shape ( def. ) + shifter ( def. )

Example Sentences

Speaking of the 2016 film, Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the shapeshifter demigod and hero of men in the animated “Moana,” will also portray the live-action version of the arrogant trickster.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The water that once sustained the community is horribly polluted and younger characters dream of escape; Mal, the mother of two daughters, is visited by a shapeshifter in her dreams.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

No matter if whipped into an icing, deep-fried and served with a sticky dipping sauce or simply steamed, tofu is a shapeshifter.

Read more on Salon

Jenrick is also a Thatcher fan - one of his daughters has Thatcher for a middle name - but Badenoch's supporters have accused him of being a "shapeshifter".

Read more on BBC

The Democrats argue that this election is about saving democracy and the Harris/Walz ticket respects the Constitution while the convicted felon Trump/eyeliner ticket, sorry JD “Shapeshifter” Vance ticket, is the authoritarian ticket; a wannabe King with his untalented court jester by his side.

Read more on Salon