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.

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Proteus British  

/ ˈprəʊtɪəs /

noun

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

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Proteus Cultural  

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

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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

A Caltech led team used Webb to study Neptune's rings along with three of its inner moons, Larissa, Galatea, and Proteus.

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 team sees the Proteus taking off from a Royal Navy frigate, flying to pre-set co-ordinates, dropping the high-tech buoys, then returning to the flight deck.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025

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