dimorphic
|di-mor-phic|
🇺🇸
/daɪˈmɔːrfɪk/
🇬🇧
/dʌɪˈmɔːfɪk/
having two distinct forms
Etymology
'dimorphic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'dimorphos,' where 'di-' meant 'two' and 'morphē' meant 'form'.
'dimorphos' passed into Late Latin as 'dimorphus', influenced scientific New Latin and French forms, and eventually became the modern English word 'dimorphic'.
Initially, it meant 'two-formed', and over time it broadened into technical uses in biology and crystallography while retaining the core sense of 'having two forms'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
exhibiting or occurring in two distinct forms within a species, population, or structure (e.g., male vs. female phenotypes).
In many bird species, plumage is dimorphic between males and females.
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Adjective 2
of a mineral or chemical substance: capable of crystallizing in two different forms.
Calcium carbonate is dimorphic, forming calcite and aragonite.
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Adjective 3
in botany or microbiology: having two distinct forms of a structure or life stage.
The fungus is dimorphic, growing as yeast at body temperature and as mold in the environment.
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Last updated: 2025/08/11 12:07