Main Entry:

mor·pheme

Pronunciation:

\ˈmȯr-ˌfēm\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French morphème, from Greek morphē form

Date:

1926

: a distinctive collocation of phonemes (as the free form pin or the bound form -s of pins) having no smaller meaningful parts

— mor·phe·mic \mȯr-ˈfē-mik\ adjective

— mor·phe·mi·cal·ly \-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb