Main Entry:

mor·phol·o·gy

Pronunciation:

\mȯr-ˈfä-lə-jē\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

German Morphologie, from morph- + -logie -logy

Date:

1830

1 a: a branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants b: the form and structure of an organism or any of its parts2 a: a study and description of word formation (as inflection, derivation, and compounding) in language b: the system of word-forming elements and processes in a language3 a: a study of structure or form b: structure, form4: the external structure of rocks in relation to the development of erosional forms or topographic features

— mor·pho·log·i·cal \ˌmȯr-fə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ also mor·pho·log·ic \-ˈlä-jik\ adjective

— mor·pho·log·i·cal·ly \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— mor·phol·o·gist \mȯr-ˈfä-lə-jist\ noun