pseudomorph
- noun
- /ˈsuːdəˌmɔrf/
:
simulacro
- In the museum, there was a pseudomorph of a crystal that had formed in the shape of quartz but was actually made of calcite.
Examples
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The fossilized rock displayed a pseudomorph resembling a large shell, although its original material had completely changed.
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The artist used a pseudomorph technique, crafting a sculpture that looked like wood but was actually made of metal.
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This creates a phantom form called a pseudomorph that tricks the predator into thinking it's the real squid.
Synonyms
2
9.9
Something that looks like the real thing but is not
How Genuine
Surface Forms
Morphology
pseudomorph = morph (transparent) = pseudo + morph
This sense is a straightforward composition of 'pseudo' meaning false and 'morph' meaning form or shape.
Etymology
Pseudomorph comes from Greek parts pseudo- 'false' and -morph 'shape'. A helpful way to remember the general meaning is that a pseudomorph looks like something else on the outside but does not have the same real substance, so it is a 'false shape' or copy.