ectomorphic

adjective

ec·to·mor·phic ˌek-tə-ˈmȯr-fik

: of or relating to the component in W. H. Sheldon's classification of body types that measures the body's degree of slenderness, angularity, and fragility

: characterized by a lean slender body build with slight muscular development

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web These include the high-altitude environments in which many Kenyans are born and raised, widespread early exposure to running as a means of transportation, and the long-legged, ectomorphic body type that is common among Kenyans.

Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 27 July 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ectomorphic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

ectoderm + -morphic; from the predominance in such types of structures developed from the ectoderm

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ectomorphic was in 1940

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ectomorphic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ectomorphic. Accessed 17 Aug. 2022.

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Medical Definition

ectomorphic

adjective

ec·to·mor·phic ˌek-tə-ˈmȯr-fik

: of or relating to the component in W. H. Sheldon's classification of body types that measures the body's degree of slenderness, angularity, and fragility — compare endomorphic sense 1, mesomorphic sense 2a