zoomorphic

adjective

zoo·​mor·​phic ˌzō-ə-ˈmȯr-fik How to pronounce zoomorphic (audio)
1
: having the form of an animal
2
: of, relating to, or being a deity conceived of in animal form or with animal attributes
zoomorph noun

Did you know?

Zoomorphic comes from zôion, meaning "animal," and -morphic, an adjective combining form meaning "have (such) a form" and from Greek morphē, "form."

Examples of zoomorphic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Additional anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines were found over the ensuing decades, and in 2002 fingerprints were discovered on many of the objects. Jaimie Seaton, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 July 2024 People also preferred the zoomorphic gestures over more abstract gestures designed to communicate the same concept. IEEE Spectrum, 16 Apr. 2021 According to Megan Catherine Rose, an Australian researcher who studies the aesthetics and sociology of creepy-cute zoomorphic cyberpets, the toy’s strange design is part of what made the original Furby so memorable. Julia Carmel, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023 Arranged around the monumental marble table, a set of 12 vaguely zoomorphic iron-and-leather dining chairs by Mario Milana layers on the whimsy. Elvis Maynard, ELLE Decor, 24 May 2023 Farnsworth’s self-description as a wandering animal, trapped in the glass house like Aretaeus’s zoomorphic womb, is all too appropriate given her gendered dismissal. Daisy Alioto, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020 If the arrangement of her exquisite zoomorphic sculptures—anacondas, armadillos, caimans, capybaras, jaguars, monkeys, parrots, river dolphins, red squirrels—called to mind a ritual gathering, the image was not accidental. Andrea K. Scott, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2022 Some Muslims were offended by its zoomorphic motifs. Anna Sherman Maxime Fossat, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022 There are hundreds of geometric and zoomorphic images in the area, which covers about 175 square miles, The Guardian reports. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zoomorphic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French zoomorphique, from zoo- zoo- + -morphique -morphic

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of zoomorphic was in 1849

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near zoomorphic

Cite this Entry

“Zoomorphic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zoomorphic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!