metamorphosis
noun/ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsɪs/
/ˌmetəˈmɔːrfəsɪs/
(plural metamorphoses
[countable, uncountable]/ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsiːz/
/ˌmetəˈmɔːrfəsiːz/
)- metamorphosis (of something) (into something) (biology) the process in which an insect or an amphibian (such as a frog) changes from its young form to its adult form in two or more separate stages
- the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- metamorphosis (from something) (into something) (formal) a process in which somebody/something changes completely into something different synonym transformation
- She had undergone an amazing metamorphosis from awkward schoolgirl to confident woman.
Word Originlate Middle English: via Latin from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun ‘transform, change shape’.
Check pronunciation:
metamorphosis