zoomorphnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zoomorph mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zoomorph. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun zoomorph?
| 1890 | 0.0055 |
| 1900 | 0.0074 |
| 1910 | 0.0074 |
| 1920 | 0.008 |
| 1930 | 0.0082 |
| 1940 | 0.0089 |
| 1950 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 0.012 |
| 1970 | 0.011 |
| 1980 | 0.012 |
| 1990 | 0.012 |
| 2000 | 0.013 |
| 2010 | 0.014 |
How is the noun zoomorph pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zoomorph come from?
Earliest known use
1880s
The earliest known use of the noun zoomorph is in the 1880s.
OED's earliest evidence for zoomorph is from 1883, in Proceedings of Society Antiquaries Scotland.
zoomorph is formed within English, by compounding.
Etymons: zoo- comb. form, ‑morph comb. form.
Nearby entries
- zoomantist, n.1861
- Zoomar, n.1946–
- zoomechanical, adj.1897
- zoomechanics, n.1888–1903
- zoomelanin, n.1858–
- zoometric, adj.1892–
- zoometry, n.1878–
- zooming, n.1892–
- zooming, adj.1904–
- zoom lens, n.1932–
- zoomorph, n.1883–
- zoomorphic, adj.1849–
- zoomorphism, n.1822–
- zoomorphize, v.1940–
- zoomorphizing, n.1895–
- zoomorphosed, adj.1955–
- zoom shot, n.1930–
- zoomy, adj.1931–
- zoomythic, adj.1889–
- zoon, n.1851–1905
- zoon, v.1880–
Etymology
Notes
- 1861
When organic bodies, whether animal or vegetable, are pseudo-morphosed, there is produced what M. Naumann has called zoomorphs [French les zoomorphoses] and phytomorphs.
Geologist vol. 4 14
Meaning & use
- 1883–A representation of an animal form in art; a zoomorphic design or figure.
- 1883
On the reverse..we have..quatrefoils;..human-headed zoomorphs;..lozenge on geometric pattern; and..corresponding dragonesque forms.
Proceedings of Society Antiquaries Scotland vol. 17 78 - 1895
The designs are based on human faces..; sometimes the human form is employed, and occasionally zoomorphs are depicted.
A. C. Haddon, Evolution in Art 40 - 1902
Key-patterns, zoömorphs, and figure subjects.
Transactions Glasgow Archaeol. Society (N.S.) vol. 4 398 - 1958
T'ao-t'ieh..is a device in which two confronting zoomorphs in profile form the left and right sides of an animal mask seen in full face.
W. Willetts, Chinese Art vol. I. iii. 161 - 2003
Later he would use the..technique for casting larger sculpture, such as zoomorphs and stelae.
Isis vol. 94 539/1
- form?c1225–1610An image, representation, or likeness (of a body). Also figurative. Obsolete.
- likeness1340–1500The living representation of something abstract or immaterial; the embodiment of. Obsolete.
- print1340–1897figurative. An image or likeness of something. Obsolete (Manx English in later use).
- nebshaftc1350Likeness, image. rare.
- resemblancea1393–1859A representation or reproduction of a person or a thing; a likeness, an image. Obsolete.
- visagea1400–1596An image or likeness; a portrait. Obsolete.
- similitude?a1425–The form, appearance, or image of someone or something; semblance, likeness. Frequently with of or possessive. Now somewhat rare.
- representationc1450–Something which stands for or denotes another symbolically; an image, a symbol, a sign. Chiefly with of.
- simulacre1483–An image, a material or mental representation, of a person or thing.
- representa1500–1635A representation; an image, an impression.
- idea1531–1714A representation, likeness, image, symbol (of something). Obsolete.
- image1531–With of. A thing that stands for or is taken to stand for something else; a symbol, emblem.
- similitudeness1547–a. Likeness (= similitude, n. 4a) (obsolete); b. similarity (= similitude, n. 5a).
- type1559–1774A figure or picture of something; a representation; an image or imitation. Obsolete. rare.
- living image1565–A person or thing with a striking resemblance to a specified original.
- portrait1567–figurative. Something which represents, typifies, or resembles the object described or implied; a type; a likeness. Now rare.
- counter-figure1573–74A figure or type corresponding to something else.
- shadow1580–1679figurative. Applied rhetorically to a portrait as contrasted with the original; also to an actor or a play in contrast with the reality represented…
- countershape1587= counter-figure, n.
- semblance1594–A person or thing that resembles another; a likeness, image, or copy of.
- umbrage1604–A shadowy appearance or indication, a semblance, outline, or faint representation, a glimmering or trace, of something. Now rare. (Common in 17th…
- medal1608–53An image, representation. Cf. model, n. Obsolete.
- reflex1608–In extended use. An image, reproduction; a thing which reflects or reproduces certain essential features or qualities of an original.
- remonstrance1640–44A representation, a simulation. Obsolete. rare.
- transcript1646–transferred and figurative. A copy, imitation, reproduction; a representation, rendering, interpretation.
- configurationa1676A representation by a figure, an image. Obsolete.
- phantom1690The visible representative, image, or figure of some incorporeal person or body politic. Obsolete. rare.
- facsimile1801–transferred and figurative.
- figurement1850–The action or an act of representing something; an instance of this; a representation; an image.
- personation1851concrete. A person who or thing which represents or plays another, either dramatically or by way of pretence. Obsolete. rare.
- featuring1864–In quot. 1864 concrete.
- zoomorph1883–A representation of an animal form in art; a zoomorphic design or figure.
- word cloud2006–An image composed of words used most commonly or prominently in a particular context or field, in which the size of each word indicates its…
society leisure the arts visual arts representation in art [nouns] an artistic representation of living thing animal- zoomorph1883–A representation of an animal form in art; a zoomorphic design or figure.
- theriomorph1913–A representation of an animal form in art.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
Frequency
zoomorph typically occurs about 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zoomorph is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zoomorph, n., 1890–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 0.0055 |
| 1900 | 0.0074 |
| 1910 | 0.0074 |
| 1920 | 0.008 |
| 1930 | 0.0082 |
| 1940 | 0.0089 |
| 1950 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 0.012 |
| 1970 | 0.011 |
| 1980 | 0.012 |
| 1990 | 0.012 |
| 2000 | 0.013 |
| 2010 | 0.014 |
Compounds & derived words
- zoomorphizing, n. 1895–The action of attributing an animal form or…
- zoomorphize, v. 1940–transitive. To make zoomorphic; to attribute an…
- zoomorphosed, adj. 1955–Of a decorative or symbolic design: formed into…