November 20, 2009
- amorphous (adjective)
- \uh-MOR-fus\
- What does it mean?
- : having no fixed form
- How do you use it?
- An amorphous cloud of smoke billowed up from the campfire and rose into the starry night sky.
- Are you a word wiz?
We get the word "amorphous" from the Greek prefix "a-" and the Greek word "morphe." What do you think "morphe" means?
The answer is beginning to take shape! "Morphe" means "shape" or "form" and "a-" means "without," so "amorphous" means literally, "without form." Another word that comes from the root "morphe" is "metamorphosis," which means change of physical form, and is what we call the process by which caterpillars turn into butterflies. Even "morph" by itself is a word. It has to do with changing the shape or character of something. With enough practice, we can all morph into word wizzes!
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