Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To change thoroughly, as into a different shape or form. synonym: convert.
  • intransitive verb To be thoroughly changed.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To transform into some other person or thing, as by magic; convert or transform in general.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb colloq. To change into a different shape; to transform.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To completely alter the form of.
  • verb intransitive To completely alter one's form.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb change completely the nature or appearance of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Origin uncertain, but possibly from transmigure or transmigrate. It is also possible that this word is a formation derived from maugre, hence it originally signified the "evil eye", but under the influence of the former etymologies shifted its meaning to its sense of "transformation". Another possibility is a humorous blending of transfigure and modify.

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Examples

  • The colour-coded branding will accompany the whole of the BBC's coverage – orange for the 70-day torch relay and gold for the Olympics itself although no word on whether this will imperceptibly transmogrify into bronze, depending on the performance of Team GB.

    Media Monkey's diary 2011

  • Neither Ireland, Greece nor Portugal has yet managed to so transmogrify itself, and so if the ECB's interest rate suits Germany, it won't suit them.

    Euro Zone Risks Exodus of Weaklings Paul Hannon 2011

  • For every one person like Keith I've ever known -- for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men -- I've known 200 who are quiety and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all.

    John Shore: Christians For A Moral America Pray For George Michael's Death John Shore 2011

  • Like previous stories, these characters continue to transmogrify in new and imaginative ways while providing a platform for witty dialogue and characterizations.

    REVIEW: The Spiral Labyrinth by Matthew Hughes 2010

  • For every one person like Keith I've ever known -- for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men -- I've known 200 who are quiety and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all.

    John Shore: Christians For A Moral America Pray For George Michael's Death John Shore 2011

  • For every one person like Keith I've ever known -- for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men -- I've known 200 who are quiety and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all.

    John Shore: Christians For A Moral America Pray For George Michael's Death John Shore 2011

  • For every one person like Keith I've ever known -- for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men -- I've known 200 who are quiety and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all.

    John Shore: Christians For A Moral America Pray For George Michael's Death John Shore 2011

  • As most of you know I don't play memes unless I can transmogrify them into something strange, but this one caught my eye and I'll play it straight.

    Destroy every meme you touch marshallpayne1 2010

  • For every one person like Keith I've ever known -- for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men -- I've known 200 who are quiety and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all.

    John Shore: Christians For A Moral America Pray For George Michael's Death John Shore 2011

  • I wonder if this exchange will transmogrify to become: “I was debating President Obama last week …”

    Matthew Yglesias » Climate Migration 2010

Comments

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  • For years, I thought this was a made-up word, because of the context in which I first encountered it: the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip.

    February 6, 2007

  • This word does seem made up, and I can never seem to remember the definition, so every time I look it up I think, "Wow, what a great word!"

    February 7, 2007

  • I'm embarrassed to say that I first learned this word on Neopets many years ago. I thought it was made-up, too... that site invents a lot of goofy fantastical words and phrases.

    February 7, 2007

  • Oh, excellent! Glad to know it wasn't just me. :)

    February 8, 2007

  • Heh, probably Buffy for me. Or was that transmutation?

    February 8, 2007