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metamorphosis
(redirected from fatty metamorphosis)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
met·a·mor·pho·sis  (mt-môrf-ss)
n. pl. met·a·mor·pho·ses (-sz)
1. A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.
2. A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.
3. Biology A change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal development after the embryonic stage. Metamorphosis includes, in insects, the transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and a caterpillar into a butterfly and, in amphibians, the changing of a tadpole into a frog.
4. Pathology A usually degenerative change in the structure of a particular body tissue.

[Latin metamorphsis, from Greek, from metamorphoun, to transform : meta-, meta- + morph, form.]
click for a larger image
metamorphosis
development of a monarch butterfly

metamorphosis [met-a-more-foss-is, -seez]
Noun
pl -ses
1. a complete change of physical form or substance
2. a complete change of character or appearance
3. Zool the change of form that accompanies transformation into an adult in certain animals, for example the butterfly or frog [Greek: transformation, from meta after + morphē form]

metamorphosis  (mt-môrf-ss)
Dramatic change in the form and often the habits of an animal during its development after birth or hatching. The transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and of a tadpole into an adult frog are examples of metamorphosis. The young of such animals are called larvae.

metamorphosis
1. change in form, structure, appearance, etc.
2. magical transformation. — metamorphic, metamorphous, adj.
See also: Change, Magic
a change or succession of changes in form during the life cycle of an animal, allowing it to adapt to different environmental conditions, as a caterpillar into a butterfly.
See also: Zoology
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.metamorphosismetamorphosis - the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals
hemimetabolism, hemimetaboly, hemimetamorphosis - incomplete or partial metamorphosis in insects
heterometabolism, heterometaboly - development of insects with incomplete metamorphosis in which no pupal stage precedes maturity
holometabolism, holometaboly - complete metamorphosis in insects
biological process, organic process - a process occurring in living organisms
2.metamorphosismetamorphosis - a striking change in appearance or character or circumstances; "the metamorphosis of the old house into something new and exciting"
revision, alteration - the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification); "it would require a drastic revision of his opinion"
3.metamorphosis - a complete change of physical form or substance especially as by magic or witchcraft
translation, transformation - the act of changing in form or shape or appearance; "a photograph is a translation of a scene onto a two-dimensional surface"

metamorphosis
Translations
Spanish metamorphosis [pl metamorphoses] [mɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs, -siːz] nmetamorfosis f inv
French metamorphosis [-ses , pl ] [mɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs, -siːz] nmétamorphose f
German metamorphosis [mɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs] [metamorphoses , pl ] nVerwandlung f
Italian metamorphosis [pl -phoses] [mɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs, -iːz] nmetamorfosi f inv

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