Standard Lemma guide

dimorphism

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /daɪˈmɔːfɪzəm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D AY0 M AO1 R F IH0 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The occurrence within a plant of two distinct forms of any part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A property of certain substances that enables them to exist in two distinct crystalline forms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(biology) the existence of two forms of individual within the same animal species (independent of sex differences)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: polymorphism

5

noun

Meaning 5

(chemistry) the property of certain substances that enables them to exist in two distinct crystalline forms

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: polymorphism, pleomorphism

History

Etymology

From di- + -morphism.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: dimorfisme — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Finnish: dimorfismi — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Finnish: kaksimuotoisuus — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • French: dimorphisme — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Greek: διμορφισμός (dimorfismós) — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Icelandic: tvíbreytni — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Irish: démhorfacht — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Italian: dimorfismo — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Polish: dymorfizm — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Polish: bimorfizm — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Portuguese: dimorfismo — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Spanish: dimorfismo — biology: occurrence of two distinct forms of any part
  • Czech: dimorfismus — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Finnish: dimorfismi — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Finnish: kaksimuotoisuus — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Greek: διμορφισμός (dimorfismós) — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Icelandic: tvíbreytni — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Irish: démhorfacht — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Polish: dymorfizm — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Polish: bimorfizm — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Portuguese: dimorfismo — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Spanish: dimorfismo — biology: occurrence in an animal species of two distinct types of individual
  • Finnish: dimorfismi — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Finnish: kaksimuotoisuus — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Icelandic: tvíbreytni — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Irish: démhorfacht — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Polish: dymorfizm — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Polish: bimorfizm — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Portuguese: dimorfismo — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms
  • Spanish: dimorfismo — geology: property of existing in two distinct crystalline forms