In the advertising for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, the word "xenomorph" was frequently used. From the two roots, xeno and morph, this would seem to mean strange or alien shape. Trouble is I can't seem to find out if the word was coined for the movie, or if it already existed. ]

Googling the Internet wasn't too helpful. There's at least one company, having nothing to do with aliens or science fiction, of that name. Also, fans of the ALIEN movies seem to have appropriated it to describe Giger's creatures.

But where did the word begin?