Zo- (or zoo-) derives from the Greek word zōion, meaning "animal," and -morph comes from the Greek morphē, meaning "form." These two forms combined to give us the adjective zoomorphic in the 19th century to describe something that resembles an animal. English includes other words that were formed from zo- or zoo-, such as zoology (made with -logy, meaning "science"). And there are also other words that were formed from -morph, such as pseudomorph, for a mineral having the outward form of another species. (The combining form pseud- or pseudo- means "false.")
Examples of ZOOMORPHIC
The couple could not agree on a dining room set: one preferred a sleek,
modern style, while the other liked a more elaborate one with the table
and chairs ending in zoomorphic clawed feet.
"The vibrant postmodern façades of Mamani's buildings (and their
imitators) contrast with the raw brick and concrete of El Alto's
ramshackle architecture.… Ancient motifs, like … zoomorphic figures from mythology, are abstracted and merged with futuristic flourishes."
— Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2015
Word Family Quiz
Fill in the blanks to complete a "morph" word that describes something
(such as a lens) that distorts an image: _ n _ morph _ _.
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Authors of comments and posts are solely responsible for their statements. Please email MiddletownInsider@gmail.com for questions or concerns. This blog, (and any site using the blogger platform), does not and cannot track the source of comments. While opinions and criticism are fine, they are subject to moderator discretion; slander and vile attacks of individuals will not to be tolerated. Middletown Insider retains the right to deny any post or comment without explanation.