noun
allomorph
AL-uh-mawf
Allomorph (noun) means In chemistry, an allomorph is one of the different crystalline forms that a substance can take. Example: “Calcium carbonate can crystallise as more than one allomorph.”
noun
1
chemistry In chemistry, an allomorph is one of the different crystalline forms that a substance can take.
"Calcium carbonate can crystallise as more than one allomorph."
"Each allomorph of the mineral has a slightly different crystal structure."
2
linguistics In linguistics, an allomorph is one of the different phonological (spoken) forms that a single morpheme can take.
"The plural morpheme in English has several allomorphs, such as the sounds heard in cats, dogs and horses."
"Linguists study how allomorphs of the same morpheme are chosen depending on the sounds around them."
How to use allomorph
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA different version or shape that the same underlying thing can take.
When to use it
It's a specialist term used in linguistics and chemistry, not in everyday speech.
Memory tip
Check the subject area first, since the word means something different in chemistry than it does in linguistics.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
allophone →
allotrope
Common pairings
allomorph of a morpheme
crystalline allomorph
different allomorphs
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Fill the gap
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Calcium carbonate can crystallise as more than one _____.
Etymology
Allomorph is formed from the prefix allo-, meaning other or different, joined to -morph, meaning form or shape.
Synonyms
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paramorph
Frequently asked questions
What does allomorph mean?
It depends on the field: in chemistry it's one of the crystalline forms a substance can take, and in linguistics it's one of the forms a morpheme can take.
What is an allomorph in linguistics?
It's one of the different phonological forms that the same morpheme can have, depending on its context.
Where does the word allomorph come from?
It's built from allo-, meaning other or different, and -morph, meaning form or shape.
What is the meaning of allomorph?
"allomorph" (noun) means in chemistry, an allomorph is one of the different crystalline forms that a substance can take.
