monstrosity
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English monstruosite, from Middle French monstruosité and its etymon Late Latin mōnstruōsitās, mōnstrōsitās (“monstrousness”), from Latin mōnstruōsus, mōnstrōsus; by surface analysis, monstrous + -ity.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]monstrosity (plural monstrosities)
- An organism showing abnormal development or deformity.
- Synonym: monster
- 1859 November 24, Charles Darwin, “Variation under Domestication”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 8:
- Geoffroy St. Hilaire's experiments show that unnatural treatment of the embryo causes monstrosities; and monstrosities cannot be separated by any clear line of distinction from mere variations.
- A monstrous person, thing, or act.
- Synonym: monster
- 2023 March 22, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Grand buildings on the list... and lost”, in RAIL, number 979, page 51:
- St Enoch Centre (1989) - a glass-domed monstrosity of a shopping centre - stands on the site of the station today.
- The state of being monstrous.
- Synonym: monstrousness
Translations
[edit]Monstrous thing, person or act
|
State of being monstrous
|
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms suffixed with -ity
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɒsɪti
- Rhymes:English/ɒsɪti/4 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations