morpho
noun
mor·pho
ˈmȯr-(ˌ)fō 
plural morphos
: any of a genus (Morpho of the family Morphoidae) of large showy tropical American butterflies that typically have a brilliant blue metallic luster on the upper surface of the wings
Examples of morpho in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The films, inspired by how morpho butterflies create their vivid blue color with reflective scales, circumvent this with nanostructures that reflect light to produce color without heating up.
—
Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
The fabulous blue morpho uses its iridescence to its advantage: When a predator approaches, the butterfly can flutter its wings rapidly to create flashes of light that may startle the hunter.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
The blue morpho, along with more than 30 other species of butterfly, actually was pretty easy to spot.
—Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022
In its rooms, guests are greeted by a small wood and glass box with a blue morpho butterfly cocoon hanging from the top, waiting to emerge.
—Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021
Evolving the farm into an in-room amenity was a natural next step for the blue morpho experts, initially for guests traveling with children.
—Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021
Beyond orchids, seek out the garden’s many tropical plants and waterfalls At the Wings of the Tropics exhibit, butterflies like the blue morpho flutter overhead, looking like flowers in flight.
—Cameron Walker, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2021
The tiny scales on a morpho butterfly’s wings, for example, are covered with minuscule ridges that have cross-ribs—a little like the profile of a fir tree.
—Meg Wilcox, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2020
The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica.
—Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018
Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
The fabulous blue morpho uses its iridescence to its advantage: When a predator approaches, the butterfly can flutter its wings rapidly to create flashes of light that may startle the hunter.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
The blue morpho, along with more than 30 other species of butterfly, actually was pretty easy to spot.
—Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022
In its rooms, guests are greeted by a small wood and glass box with a blue morpho butterfly cocoon hanging from the top, waiting to emerge.
—Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021
Evolving the farm into an in-room amenity was a natural next step for the blue morpho experts, initially for guests traveling with children.
—Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021
Beyond orchids, seek out the garden’s many tropical plants and waterfalls At the Wings of the Tropics exhibit, butterflies like the blue morpho flutter overhead, looking like flowers in flight.
—Cameron Walker, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2021
The tiny scales on a morpho butterfly’s wings, for example, are covered with minuscule ridges that have cross-ribs—a little like the profile of a fir tree.
—Meg Wilcox, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2020
The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica.
—Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'morpho.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Morpho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morpho. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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