imago

imago definition - medical

i·ma·go (ĭ-māˈgō, ĭ-mäˈ-)

noun pl. i·ma·goes or i·ma·gi·nes (-gə-nēzˌ)
  1. An insect in its sexually mature adult stage after metamorphosis.
  2. An often idealized image of a person, usually a parent, formed in childhood and persisting unconsciously into adulthood.
  3. See archetype.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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