Proteus
Americannoun
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Classical Mythology. a sea god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, noted for his ability to assume different forms and to prophesy.
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a person or thing that readily changes appearance, character, principles, etc.
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(lowercase) any of several rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria of the genus Proteus, sometimes found as pathogens in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of humans.
noun
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Someone or something that easily takes on several different forms may be called “protean.”
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Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some of those new technologies were on display, from a remote-controlled speedboat, zipping about in the harbour, to a mock-up of Proteus, the navy's first pilotless helicopter.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2025
Proteus doesn’t call in sick, doesn’t file workers’ comp and doesn’t require bathroom breaks.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2025
Three of the passengers were associated with Proteus Aero, a flight school based at the Santa Monica airport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2024
Like the ISS, Proteus is designed so that it can grow in the future, as scientists decide to add new sections or equipment to the station.
From NewsForKids.net ● Mar. 25, 2024
He went to the favorite haunt of Proteus, the island of Pharos, or some say Carpathos.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
