metamorphosis

== English == === Etymology === First attested in 1533, from Latin metamorphōsis, from Ancient Greek μεταμόρφωσις (metamórphōsis), from μετά (metá, “change”) + μορφή (morphḗ, “form”). Analyzable as meta- +‎ -morph +‎ -osis === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs/, /ˌmɛtəmɔːˈfəʊsɪs/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˌmɛtəˈmoɹfəsɪs/, [ˌmɛɾəˈmoɹfəsɪs] (one pronunciation) Rhymes: -əʊsɪs Hyphenation: met‧a‧mor‧pho‧sis === Noun === metamorphosis (countable and uncountable, plural metamorphoses) A transformation, such as one performed by magic. Synonyms: development, transfiguration, transmutation; see also Thesaurus:conversion A noticeable change in character, appearance, function, or condition. (biology) A change in the form and often habits of an animal after the embryonic stage during normal development (e.g. the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or a tadpole into a frog). (pathology) A change, usually degenerative, in the structure of a specific body tissue. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== metamorphic metamorphose metamorphosize metamorphism ==== Translations ==== == Latin == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek μεταμόρφωσις (metamórphōsis). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [mɛ.ta.mɔrˈpʰoː.sɪs] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [me.ta.morˈfɔː.s̬is] === Noun === metamorphōsis f (genitive metamorphōsis or metamorphōseōs or metamorphōsios); third declension (biology) metamorphosis ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun (Greek-type, i-stem). 1Found sometimes in Medieval and New Latin.