|hed.ərō|mȯrfik adjective
or het·er·o·mor·phous -fəs
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary heter- + -morphic or -morphous
1. : deviating from the usual form or exhibiting diversity of form: as
a. : having different forms at different stages of development
holometabolic insects and certain plants with complex life cycles are heteromorphic
b. : having different forms in different members of a colony
the polyps of many complex compound jellyfishes are highly heteromorphic being chiefly specialized for feeding, defense, motility, or reproduction
c. : of irregular or unusual structure : of variable shape
the leaves of emergent plants are commonly heteromorphic
d. : unlike in form or size — used specifically of synaptic chromosomes
the X and Y chromosomes constitute a heteromorphic pair
heteromorphic bivalents
2. : exhibiting or undergoing heteromorphosis