DIMORPHISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dimorphism mean? 

• DIMORPHISM (noun)
  The noun DIMORPHISM has 2 senses:

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

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

  Familiarity information: DIMORPHISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIMORPHISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("dimorphism" is a kind of...):

pleomorphism; polymorphism ((chemistry) the existence of different kinds of crystal of the same chemical compound)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("dimorphism" is a kind of...):

polymorphism ((biology) the existence of two or more forms of individuals within the same animal species (independent of sex differences))

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)