dimorphs
/ˈdaɪmɔrfs/
noun
- Two distinct forms or types of something, especially in biology where members of the same species have different appearances.
- Scientists studied the dimorphs of the plant to understand how it adapts to different environments.
- In many bird species, the male and female are dimorphs, with the male having brighter feathers.
- The two dimorphs of the butterfly look so different that people once thought they were separate species.
- In chemistry and mineralogy, two different crystal structures of the same chemical compound.
- Graphite and diamond are famous dimorphs of carbon, with very different properties.
- Calcite and aragonite are dimorphs of calcium carbonate, each with a different crystal shape.
- The chemist identified two dimorphs of the compound that form at different temperatures.