Also ‑iform.
Having a specified form or number of forms.
Latin forma, a mould or form.
This ending is active in English and frequently forms adjectives in botany and zoology that describe the shape of a plant or animal or some part of it. Though the spelling is strictly ‑form because of the Latin original, adjectives created using it usually have a i before the ending (see ‑i‑). A selection of varying application is given in the list below.
Verbs in ‑form, including form itself, are from Latin formare, to form (based on forma); hence conform, deform, inform, reform, and transform. An exception is terraform, to make a planet more like Earth, from Latin terra, earth, plus the English verb form. However, perform is from Old French par, through or to completion, plus fournir, to furnish or provide.
Nouns in ‑form are from a variety of sources and similarly are not examples of the combining form: chloroform is from chloro‑ plus the first part of formic acid; platform comes from the French plateforme, a ground plan (literally a flat shape); landform and microform both derive from the English noun form.
Examples of words in -form
All word sources are from Latin unless otherwise stated.
Relating to animal or plant shapes:
coliform
belonging to a set of rod-shaped bacteria typified by Escherichia coli
coli, of the colon, since such bacteria are common in the gastrointestinal tract
cribriform
having an anatomical structure pierced by holes, such as the spinnerets of some kinds of spiders
cribrum, sieve
filiform
thread-like
filum, thread
spongiform
having a porous structure resembling that of a sponge
from sponge
vermiform
resembling a worm
vermis, a worm
Indicating a number of forms or parts:
multiform
existing in many forms
multus, much or many
uniform
all of one kind or form
unus, one
variform
of a group of things that vary from one another in form
varius, diverse
Other examples:
cirriform
of the form of clouds composed of ice crystals, such as cirrus
cirrus, a curl
cruciform
having the shape of a cross
crux, cross
cuneiform
the wedge-shaped characters used in some ancient Middle-East writing systems; in anatomy and biology, something wedge-shaped
cuneus, wedge
stratiform
arranged in layers
stratum, something strewn or laid down
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