dimorphic

adjective

di·​mor·​phic (ˌ)dī-ˈmȯr-fik How to pronounce dimorphic (audio)
1
b
: occurring in two distinct forms
dimorphic leaves
sexually dimorphic coloration in birds
2
: combining qualities of two kinds of individuals in one

Did you know?

Dimorphism varies greatly in the animal kingdom. Among mammals, the male is generally larger than the female, but other differences in appearance tend to be modest. But birds are usually noticeably dimorphic, with the male being the more colorful sex; when we imagine a pheasant, a mallard, a cardinal, or a peacock, we're almost always picturing the male rather than the female. Among spiders the situation is often reversed. The golden orb-weaver spider, for example, is spectacularly dimorphic: the female may be 20 times the size of the male, and she usually ends up eating him, sometimes even while he's mating with her. Many sea creatures, including many fish, take care of gender problems by simply changing from one sex into the other.

Examples of dimorphic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Enlarge / Histoplasma capsulatum is a species of parasitic, yeast-like dimorphic fungus that can, if inhaled, cause a type of lung infection called histoplasmosis. Mark Takahashi, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023 However, these behaviors have only been tested in a handful of size dimorphic spiders. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2017 That variability itself and the behavioral overlap between the sexes—aggressive females and empathetic males and even men and women who display both traits—suggest that brains cannot be lumped into one of two distinct, or dimorphic, categories. Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2017 The canines are sexually dimorphic, being larger in males. Darren Naish, Scientific American Blog Network, 3 June 2017 How will understanding the role of doublesex in sexually dimorphic insect traits help us understand phenotypic variation in other animals, even humans? Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dimorphic was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near dimorphic

Cite this Entry

“Dimorphic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dimorphic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

dimorphic

adjective
di·​mor·​phic (ˈ)dī-ˈmȯr-fik How to pronounce dimorphic (audio)
1
2
: occurring in two distinct forms
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