ALLOMORPH - Definition & Meaning for Kids

Simple definitions and word synonyms for kids.

Part of speech: Noun

any of several different crystalline forms of the same chemical compound

Example: calcium carbonate occurs in the allomorphs calcite and aragonite

Categories: Compound, Chemical compound

Part of speech: Noun

a variant phonological representation of a morpheme

Example: the final sounds of `bets' and `beds' and `horses' and `oxen' are allomorphs of the English plural morpheme

Categories: Morpheme

allo – A related word in the same word family.

morph – A related word in the same word family.

Tracking word families reveals how metaphors hardened into literal meanings over time.