protean

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adjective

readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable.

changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba.

(of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles.

( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or suggestive of Proteus.

Origin:
1590–1600; Prote(us) + -an

Related forms

pro·te·an·ism, noun

Can be confused: protean, protein.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Relevant Questions

How Much Protean Per Day...

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Protean is always a great word to know.

So is zedonk. Does it mean:

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

protean (prəʊˈtiːən, ˈprəʊtɪən)

—*adj*
	readily taking on various shapes or forms; variable

[C16: from Proteus]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

Protean

1598, from Gk. Proteus, sea god (son of Oceanus and Tethys) who could change his form; his name is lit. "first," from protos "first."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

protean pro·te·an (prō'tē-ən, prō-tē'-)
adj.
Readily taking on varied shapes, forms, or meanings.