Proteus

[ proh-tee-uhs, -tyoos ]

/ ˈproʊ ti əs, -tyus /

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noun

Classical Mythology. a sea god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, noted for his ability to assume different forms and to prophesy.

a person or thing that readily changes appearance, character, principles, etc.

plural pro·te·i

[proh-tee-ahy]. /ˈproʊ tiˌaɪ/. (lowercase)Bacteriology. any of several rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria of the genus Proteus, sometimes found as pathogens in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of humans.

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Words nearby Proteus

Protestant Reformation, Protestant work ethic, protestation, protest flag, protest vote, Proteus, Proteus morganii, Proteus syndrome, Proteus vulgaris, prothalamion, prothalamium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Proteus in a sentence

However, the current thinking is that Merrick may have suffered from Proteus syndrome.
The True Story of ‘The Elephant Man’|Russell Saunders|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Notwithstanding His immutability, God is, in all the religions of this world, a veritable Proteus.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
Proteus had charge of the great flock of sea-calves which fed on the soft seaweed and basked in the warm sands near his cave.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
When Aristus saw Proteus fast asleep, he stepped cautiously up to him and bound him with strong fetters.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker

Proteus is called the Carpathian wizard because his cave was on the island of Pharos, or Carpathos.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
Suppose we take the act of Perigrinus Proteus burning himself at Olympia.
The Aesthetical Essays|Friedrich Schiller

British Dictionary definitions for Proteus

Proteus

/ (ˈprəʊtɪəs) /

noun

Greek myth a prophetic sea god capable of changing his shape at will

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for Proteus

Proteus

[ prō′tē-əs ]

A genus of gram-negative, rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae that includes certain species associated with human enteritis and urinary tract infections.

Cultural definitions for Proteus

Proteus

[ (proh-tee-uhs, proh-tyoohs) ]

In classical mythology, a god who served Poseidon. Proteus could change his shape at will.

notes for Proteus

Someone or something that easily takes on several different forms may be called “protean.”