mesomorph
/ˈmɛsə(ʊ)mɔːf
/ /ˈmɛzə(ʊ)mɔːf/ /ˈmiːsə(ʊ)mɔːf/ /ˈmiːzə(ʊ)mɔːf/noun Physiology
A person whose build is compact and muscular. Compare with ectomorph and endomorph.There are many more ectomorphs (naturally thin people) and endomorphs (naturally chubby people) than mesomorphs (naturally muscular people), and it's difficult to overcome genetic limitations....
- People are ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph.
- Somatotyping There are three widely accepted physique categories called somatotypes: endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph.
Derivatives
mesomorphic
/ /ˌmɛzə(ʊ)ˈmɔːfɪk / adjective ...- Some categorize body type as ‘ectomorphic, endomorphic or mesomorphic (muscular).’
- Breaking down his client list into three specific body types - ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic - Isaacson gives the best advice for each category.
- The female contestants of this sport were more endomorphic and less mesomorphic than the male competitors, but the levels of ectomorphy were the same between the females and males.
Origin
1920s: meso- from mesodermal (being the layer of the embryo giving rise to physical characteristics which predominate) + -morph.