zoomorphic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a deity or other being conceived of as having the form of an animal.
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characterized by a highly stylized or conventionalized representation of animal forms.
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representing or using animal forms.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of zoomorphic
Explanation
Anything that's zoomorphic has the form of an animal. If your cookie jar is shaped like a bear, with a removable head as its lid, you can describe it as zoomorphic. Zoomorphic is derived from Greek roots, zoion, "an animal," and morphē, "form." Things that take the form of animals can include art, everyday objects, people, and even gods in some religions. Think of the zoomorphic Hindu god Ganesh, with his elephant's head and human body. Or your grandparents' zoomorphic front door knocker, shaped like a lobster. And you might decide on a zoomorphic costume for Halloween — a cat or a rabbit — instead of dressing like a superhero.
Vocabulary lists containing zoomorphic
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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.
“The oldest surviving example of zoomorphic architecture on Earth,” boasted her human handler and lifelong cheerleader, Richard Helfant.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2020
Stylings included mythological and zoomorphic motifs — a delightful eruption of irregularity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2018
I’m staring at a creature that shouldn’t exist, a zoomorphic mashup of anatomical incongruities.
From Time ● Jun. 1, 2016
Just before the curtain was raised inside, we asked readers what they saw when they looked up at the exterior of the zoomorphic pavilion.
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2016
It is worthy of remark that a mythology with its religion subject to the influences of an overwhelming civilization yields first in its zoomorphic elements.
From Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891 by Powell, John Wesley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
