-morphiccomb. form
Primary stress is attracted to the first syllable of this combining form and vowels may be reduced accordingly; see e.g.
anthropomorphic adj.Origin: A borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element. Etymons: Greek μορϕή , -ic suffix.
Etymology: < ancient Greek μορϕή form (or -μορϕος , terminal element representing this in compound adjectives: see -morph comb. form) + -ic suffix.Combined with first elements ultimately of Greek origin. Early examples (attested from the early 19th cent.) represent the addition of -ic suffix to stems in -morph (in some cases perhaps after French models), e.g. anthropomorphic adj., polymorphic adj., pseudomorphic adj. Formations become numerous from the mid 19th cent. onwards. Occasional formations with initial elements not of Greek origin are attested in the mid 20th cent., e.g. ratiomorphic adj.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2019).