imago

A noun with two distinct meanings: in psychoanalysis, it refers to an idealized, often unconscious image of a significant person (typically a parent) formed during childhood; in zoology, it denotes the final, adult stage of an insect after metamorphosis.

• 🇩🇪Substantiv mit zwei Bedeutungen: in der Psychoanalyse ein idealisiertes, oft unbewusstes inneres Bild einer wichtigen Bezugsperson (meist eines Elternteils), das in der Kindheit entsteht; in der Zoologie das endgültige, erwachsene Entwicklungsstadium eines Insekts nach der Metamorphose.

1. Idealized mental image C1 formal

   An idealized, often unconscious mental image of a significant person, especially a parent, formed during childhood and influencing adult relationships.

   • His therapist helped him understand how his parental imago shaped his romantic choices.
   • The concept of the imago is central to certain psychoanalytic theories.
   • She realized she was seeking a partner who matched her childhood imago of her father.

   🇩🇪Idealisierte mentale Vorstellung

2. Adult insect C1 formal

   The final, fully developed, and usually winged stage of an insect after it has undergone metamorphosis.

   • The imago of a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.
   • Entomologists study the imago stage to understand insect reproduction.
   • After molting several times, the nymph finally became an imago.

   🇩🇪Imago

   Synonyme: adult

   Antonyme: caterpillarlarvanymphpupa

• imagines plural form
• imagoes plural form
• imagines' possessive plural form
• imagoes' possessive plural form
• imago's possessive singular form