[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/metamorphosis/)

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# metamorphosis

noun (metamorphosis, metamorphoses)

«metamorphosis» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Metamorphosis is a big change in body shape that some animals go through as they grow, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly or a tadpole becoming a frog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#m1)
2. A metamorphosis is any complete change in how someone or something looks or is. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons on life cycles: a butterfly goes through complete metamorphosis (egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, adult); a frog goes from frogspawn to tadpole to froglet to frog. Grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). In stories, a metamorphosis is a magical or amazing transformation. Phrases: «undergo metamorphosis», «complete metamorphosis», «incomplete metamorphosis».

### Examples

- A caterpillar turns into a butterfly by metamorphosis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x1)
- Tadpoles go through metamorphosis to become frogs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x2)
- Inside the chrysalis, metamorphosis takes place. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x3)
- Beetles also go through complete metamorphosis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x4)
- We watched the metamorphosis of our class caterpillars. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x5)
- Grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x6)
- The old shed went through a metamorphosis into a playroom. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x7)
- Metamorphosis comes from Greek words meaning «change of shape». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x8)
- In two years the building itself will put on a proper appearance, there will be a complete metamorphosis in beauty and improvement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/#x9)

### Note

Plural: metamorphoses (-sis → -ses). Verb: metamorphose. Stress: me-ta-MOR-pho-sis. Humans do not go through metamorphosis — we grow but keep the same body shape.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «metamorphosis» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/metamorphosis/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«metamorphosis» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/metamorphosis.html) on Mova free.