Proteus

American  

[proh-tee-uhs, -tyoos] / ˈproʊ ti əs, -tjus /

noun

• protei
  plural

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

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

3. (lowercase) any of several rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria of the genus Proteus, sometimes found as pathogens in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of humans.

---

Proteus British  

/ ˈprəʊtɪəs /

noun

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

---

Proteus Cultural  

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

---

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• protei
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Proteus

On her way out, Nanna pocketed a mosaic tile depicting the shape-shifting Greek sea god Proteus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The researchers say this difference could mean Proteus formed again from material located in another part of the debris disk.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Proteus doesn’t call in sick, doesn’t file workers’ comp and doesn’t require bathroom breaks.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2025

The Proteus is a research programme for the Royal Navy, designed to see what is possible.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025

Proteus had the power to change himself into any number of different forms.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton