Morpher

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument or entity that modifies or transforms shapes in a specific way can also be characterized as a being that alters its appearance or form
2. A tool or entity capable of changing the shape or structure of an object or itself
3. Something or someone that brings about transformation by altering form or appearance

Etymology: "Morpher" is a plain formation: the noun "morph" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one that performs the action. The verb "morph" was itself clipped from "metamorphose," a process of change in form, which is where the idea of altering shape comes from. Adding "-er" turns that action into a thing or device that does the changing. The sense has been shaped largely by science fiction, video games and special effects, where a "morpher" is a device or being that transforms its shape, such as the wrist-worn transformation devices of television superhero shows. The word is therefore a modern, technical-feeling coinage built from a short, familiar root rather than from an older classical term.