Dramatic changes in form, appearance, nature, or character from one state into something completely different.
From Latin 'transformare,' combining 'trans-' (across/beyond) with 'formare' (to form or shape). The concept of radical change has been important since medieval alchemy and theology.
Caterpillars-to-butterflies transformation fascinates every culture precisely because metamorphosis seems to violate our sense of identity—the butterfly isn't a modified caterpillar but an entirely reconstructed organism, raising the question: is it the same creature or a new one?
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