xenomorphic

American

[zen-uh-mawr-fik, zee-nuh-] / ˌzɛn əˈmɔr fɪk, ˌzi nə- /

adjective

Petrography. Also noting or pertaining to a mineral grain that does not have its characteristic crystalline form but has a form impressed on it by surrounding grains; anhedral.
in an unusual form; having a strange form.

xenomorphic British

/ ˌzɛnəˈmɔːfɪk /

adjective

(of a mineral constituent of an igneous rock) not having its characteristic crystal shape because of deforming pressure from adjacent minerals

"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

Other Word Forms

xenomorphically adverb

Etymology

Origin of xenomorphic

First recorded in 1885–90; xeno- + -morphic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Xenomorphic, zen-ō-mor′fik, adj. not having its own proper form, but an irregular shape impressed by adjacent minerals.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023