Dimorph

/ˈdaɪmɔrf/ noun

Definition

An organism or substance that exists in two distinct forms or varieties.

Etymology

From Greek 'di-' (two) plus 'morph' (form). The noun form describes the actual thing that has two forms, distinguishing it from the adjective 'dimorphic.'

Kelly Says

Dimorphs are particularly cool in the mineral world—some minerals can crystallize in two completely different geometric structures while being chemically identical, which boggled scientists' minds before X-ray crystallography revealed why.

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