relating to or resulting from metamorphosis or metamorphism (of rocks) altered considerably from their original structure and mineralogy by pressure and heat
Compare igneous, sedimentary
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
met•a•mor•phic
(met′ə môr′fik),USA pronunciation adj.
- Insectspertaining to or characterized by change of form, or metamorphosis.
- Geologypertaining to or exhibiting structural change or metamorphism.
- meta- + -morphic 1810–20
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
met•a•mor•phism /ˌmɛtəˈmɔrfɪzəm/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Geologya natural change in the structure of a rock, as from heat.
met•a•mor•phism
(met′ə môr′fiz əm),USA pronunciation n.
- Geologya change in the structure or constitution of a rock due to natural agencies, as pressure and heat, esp. when the rock becomes harder and more completely crystalline.
- [Archaic.]metamorphosis.
- meta- + -morphism 1835–45
'metamorphic' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
albite
- amphibolite
- biotite
- boss
- calcite
- chlorite
- cordierite
- dedolomitization
- epidiorite
- facies
- glaucophane
- gneiss
- granulite
- hard rock
- hedenbergite
- hornblende
- hornfels
- igneous
- jadeite
- joint
- kyanite
- layering
- magnetite
- marble
- metacryst
- metamorphic facies
- metamorphism
- metamorphous
- metasomatism
- mica
- nonconformity
- olivine
- orogen
- orthoclase
- perovskite
- poikiloblastic
- pyrite
- pyroxene
- quartz
- quartzite
- rhodonite
- rock
- scheelite
- schist
- sedimentary
- serpentine
- slate
- sphene
- talc