shapeshifter

American  

[sheyp-shif-ter] / ˈʃeɪpˌʃɪf tər /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• shapeshift verb (used without object)
• shapeshifting noun

Etymology

Origin of shapeshifter

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

Example Sentences

“How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” is a story that imagines Santa Claus as a shapeshifter who takes different forms in order to deliver presents on his Christmas Eve route.

From Salon

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.

From 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.

From 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.

From 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".

From BBC