Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "metamorphose" ita ce canzawa ko canzawa gaba ɗaya a cikin tsari ko yanayi, musamman ta hanyar sihiri ko asiri. Hakanan yana iya komawa ga tsarin irin wannan canji, kamar a cikin yanayin metamorphosis a cikin kwari ko amphibians. Kalmar ta samo asali ne daga kalmomin Helenanci "meta," ma'anar "canji," da "kwayoyin halitta," ma'ana "canji."
