difforme

Difforme is an adjective meaning deformed or irregular in shape. In English, it is chiefly found in historical, literary, or specialized medical usage; in French, difforme remains the standard term for deformed.

Etymology: from French difforme, from Latin difformis, formed with prefix dis- meaning apart and forma meaning form; the term thus literally denotes “formed differently.” In English, the spelling difforme is related to the more common deform, and difformity is the related noun.

Usage: In medical texts of the 18th–19th centuries, difforme described variations from normal morphology, including limb deformities or anatomical irregularities. In modern medical English, terms like deformity, dysmorphia, or malformation are preferred; difforme is now rare and largely literary or historical. In botany or zoology, the word can describe individuals with atypical morphology within a species, though contemporary terminology more often uses qualitative adjectives or measurements.

In culture and literature, difforme may appear in descriptions emphasizing grotesque or uncanny shapes, reflecting its negative connotation. The term is not a scientific taxon, nor a generally used technical term in contemporary science.

Difforme is also used as a proper noun in some contexts (names of artworks, fictional entities) but such uses are idiosyncratic.

See also: deformity, deform, dysmorphia, malformation, morphological variation.