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