Difform

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /dɪˈfɔː(ɹ)m/

Definitions

1. Irregular or abnormal in shape; having an unusual or distorted form
2. Having a shape that departs from the normal or typical appearance
3. Exhibiting a form that is distorted or not conforming to regular shapes

Etymology: "Difform" is a plain construction: it joins the prefix "dif-", a form of "dis-" meaning apart or away, with "forma", the Latin word for shape. The result describes something pulled out of its proper shape, distorted rather than simply different. The word came into English from Old French "difforme", which had itself been taken from Latin "difformis" (literally "deformed" or "misshapen"). Its close relative "deform" followed a similar route, so the two words share the same underlying idea of a shape that has gone wrong. English kept "difform" as a more formal, somewhat rarer option beside "deform" and "deformed".