Deform
/dɪˈfɔːrm/noun
To spoil the shape or appearance of something; to make something ugly or misshapen.
Did you know?English got this word through Latin, where *deformare* meant not just “to disfigure,” but also “to ruin a person’s moral character,” showing how physical and spiritual corruption were linked in ancient thought.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰer-
“to hold, support, keep up”
Latin
Latin
forma
“shape, form, mold, beauty”
Latin
Latin
deformare
“to spoil the shape of, disfigure”
Old French
Old French
deformer
“to disfigure, mar, spoil”
Middle English
English
deformen
“to mar the shape or appearance of”
Modern English
English
deform
“to make misshapen or ugly; to spoil the form of”