Advertisement

Advertisement

pleomorphism

or ple·o·mor·phy

[ plee-uh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun

, Biology.
  1. existence of an organism in two or more distinct forms during the life cycle; polymorphism.

pleomorphism

/ ˌpliːəˈmɔːˌfɪzəm; ˈpliːəˌmɔːfɪ /

noun

  1. the occurrence of more than one different form in the life cycle of a plant or animal
  2. the occurrence of more than one different form of crystal of one chemical compound; polymorphism

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌpleoˈmorphic, adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pleomorphism1

First recorded in 1860–65; pleo- + -morph + -ism

Discover More

Example Sentences

He had described this phenomenon in 1888 in a memoir entitled Pleomorphism of Microbes.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

pleomorphicpleon

Browse

  • #
  • aa
  • bb
  • cc
  • dd
  • ee
  • ff
  • gg
  • hh
  • ii
  • jj
  • kk
  • ll
  • mm
  • nn
  • oo
  • pp
  • qq
  • rr
  • ss
  • tt
  • uu
  • vv
  • ww
  • xx
  • yy
  • zz