METAMORPHOSIS

noun (plural metamorphoses) Etymology: Latin, from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun to transform, from meta- + morphē form Date: 1533 1. change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means, a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances, a typically marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching