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.
alphitomorphous
1. Having the appearance of barley-meal; applied to pulverulent microscopic fungi, parasitical on plants.
2. Having a characteristic mealy or granular appearance; used with reference to some plant diseases.
3. Having the appeasrance of peeled (pearl) barley; applied to certain fungi.
amorph (s) (noun), amorphs (pl)
Without a clear shape or form: An amorph lacks a discernible form and so it can be described as having an irregular or an undefined shape or structure.

The sculptor took a lump of clay that was an amorph and molded it quickly into a rough human form.

The lawyer did not present any reasonable arguments in defense of his client, Mary Jones; instead, he presented a collection of unsupported amorphs that persuaded no one to acquit her of the charges.

amorphagnosia (s) (noun), amorphagnosias (pl)
1. Lacking the ability to recognize the size and shape of objects: Winston's amorphagnosia made it impossible for him to have the skills to understand what anyone meant when he was told to pick up his Teddy Bear or any of the other toys that were available for his use.
2. Etymology: from the Greek prefix a, "without, not" + Greek morphe, "shape" + Greek gnosis, "knowledge".
amorphism
A state of being amorphous; especially, a state of being without crystallization even in the minutest particles, as in glass, opal, etc.
amorphophallus
A giant plant of the genus Amorphophallus from the eastern tropics, grown as a curiosity.

It has large spathes (a large bract or a specialized leaf, usually smaller than the foliage leaves, often colored, which surrounds the inflorescence of aroid plants and palms) containing many bad-smelling flowers.

amorphous (adjective), more amorphous, most amorphous
1. Having no definite form; shapeless, formless: Lying on his back in the grassy field, Brendan could watch the amorphous clouds float overhead.
2. Not belonging to a particular type or pattern: Toby's amorphous commitment to regularly paid employment was difficult to understand.
3. Of no particular kind or character; indeterminate; having no pattern or structure; unorganized: Kari has an amorphous style of writing; as well as, an amorphous personality.
4. In petrology, a mineral occurring in a mass, as without stratification, form, or crystalline structure: The amorphous layer of sand was mixed with an unidentified hard substance which made drilling for natural gas difficult.
Shapeless, having no definite form.
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Without a proper shape or figure.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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amorphozoa (pl) (noun)
Fauna without an oral cavity or regular internal organs: The sponges are considered to be amorphozoa because they lack the normal organic structure in their bodies like other animals.
amorphus (s), amorphi (pl), amorphuses (pl)
A fetus without a head, heart, or limbs.
amorphy
Without shape or form; shapelessness.
anamorph
A somatic or reproductive structure that originates without nuclear recombination (asexual reproduction); the imperfect part of the life cycle of fungi.

The teleomorph describes a fungus when it reproduces sexually. The anamorph is a name that refers to the fungus when it reproduces asexually. The holomorph refers to the "whole fungus".

anamorphic
1. Pertaining to a gradual evolution from one type of organism to another.
2. A reference to a kind of distorting optical system; such as, "an anamorphic lense".
3. Motion picture terminology: Cinemascope; an optical system which has different magnifications in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the picture.
anamorphic lens
A lens that produces different magnifications along lines in different directions in the image plane.
anamorphic system
An optical system incorporating a cylindrical surface in which the image is distorted so the angle of coverage in a direction perpendicular to the cylinder is different for the image than for the object.
anamorphic zone
The zone of rock flow, as indicated by reactions that may involve decarbonation, dehydration, and deoxidation.

Silicates are built up, and the formation of denser minerals and of compact crystalline structure takes place.

anamorphism
1. The evolution of one type of organism from another by a long series of gradual changes (synonym: anamorphosis; evolutionary increase in complexity of form and function).
2. Metamorphism that occurs deep under the earth's surface which changes simple minerals into complex minerals.
3. A distorted projection or perspective; especially an image distorted in such a way that it becomes visible only when viewed in a special manner (synonym: anamorphosis).

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