morpho-, morph-, -morphous, -morphically, -morphia, -morphosis, -morphously, -morphy, -morphic, -morphism

(Greek: shape, form, figure, appearance)

Origins of morpho- words

The Roman god of sleep is Somnus; so, when we are sleepy, we are "somnolent". Sleep walking is "somnambulism" which in Latin means exactly the same thing; that is, "sleepwalking".

The son of Somnus is Morpheus, the god of dreams, indicating that sleep gives birth to dreams. Morpheus goes back through Latin to the Greek word for "form" or "shape" because dreams are forms and shapes developed in the mind while sleeping.

—Compiled from
Words from the Myths by Isaac Asimov;
Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston; 1961; pages 43-44.
morphological astronomy
1. A branch of astronomy in which the forms of celestial objects; such as, galaxies, are observed, and an attempt is made to draw conclusions from these observations.
2. In astrophysics, an approach to the study of the universe that seeks to inventory all possible kinds of celestial objects, both known and as-yet unknown.
morphological stability (s) (noun) (no pl)
The property of a material relating to the dynamics of the spontaneous shape of the interface that separates phases during a phase transformation.
morphological subunit
The structural subunit of a virus particle that can be seen under the electron microscope.
morphologist
A specialist who does research in the branch of biology that deals with structure and form.

It includes the anatomy, histology, and cytology of the organism at any stage or period of its life history.

morphology
1. A branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants; especially, with respect to the forms, relations, metamorphoses, and phylogenetic development of organs apart from their functions.
2. The study of the form and structure of an organism considered as a whole; especially, the physical shape and size of a specimen, plant, or animal.
3. In linguistics, the patterns of word formation in a particular language, including inflection, derivation, and composition; the study and description of such patterns.
4. The study of the behavior and combination of morphemes.
5. Physical geography, geomorphology.
6. The form or structure of anything: "She wanted to gain an insight into the morphology of our political system."
7. The study of the form or structure of anything; such as, the anatomy of an animal.
morphometrical
A reference to the use of comparative measurements of form in the classification or analysis of relationships among organisms.
morphometry, morphometrics, morphobiometry
1. The measurement of the structures, parts, and forms of organisms.
2. The use of comparative measurements of form in the classification or analysis of relationships among organisms
morphon
1. A structural or organic individual, as contrasted with one that is functionally or physiologically, but not structurally, independent.
2. Morphology, in which the organism is regarded as composed of organic individuals of different orders, each organ being considered an individual.
morphonomic
A reference to the study of the laws governing form in nature.
morphonomy
1. The laws of organic formation.
2. Laws governing biological morphology.
morphophilia
In psychiatry, a type of sexual perversion in which sexual arousal and orgasm depend upon some discrepancy between the partner’s bodily characteristics and the subject’s; that is, the partner must be markedly thinner or taller than the subject.
morphophone
1. A linguistic unit whose sound varies among dialects but which occurs in the same word for all speakers of English.

The basic problem in becoming literate is gaining the ability of going from written or printed symbols back to oral symbols.

2. Sound changes or forms.
morphoplankton (s) (noun), morphoplankton; morphoplantons (pl)
Small plant or animal organisms that are buoyant: Morphoplankton are enabled to float by means of anatomical specializations such as droplets of oil or gas vesicles, or in which the rate of sinking is lessened by structural aspects or minute body size.
morphoplasm
The protoplasm that makes up the cellular reticulum or a small network; especially, a protoplasmic network in cells.
morphosan
A solid morphine derivative that does not produce the unpleasant or disagreeable after effects of morphine; used in medicine.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units dealing with "form, shape, appearance": eido-; figur-; form-; icono-; ideo-; imag-; -oid; typo-.