polymorphism
/ˌpɒlɪˈmɔːfɪz(ə)m
/noun [mass noun]
1The condition of occurring in several different forms: the complexity and polymorphism of human cognition
1.1 Biology The occurrence of different forms among the members of a population or colony, or in the life cycle of an individual organism: the workers of this species exhibit polymorphism, specialized physical castes...
- Many of the 5000 or so bryozoan species exhibit polymorphism.
- In the subclass Hexacorallia, polymorphism of polyps in colonies is unknown, so for this group, variation in life cycles simply involves fission.
- Examples of the concept include Integration and polymorphism: degree of autonomy of individual versus integration of specialized individuals, relative degrees of fitness (Boardman and Cheetham, 1973; Schopf, 1973; Bates and Kirk, 1985; Pitelka and Ashmun, 1985; Mackie, 1986).
1.2 Genetics The presence of genetic variation within a population, upon which natural selection can operate.Double reduction may play a significant role in plant evolution and the maintenance of genetic polymorphism in natural populations....
- A common goal of population genetic investigations is to explain the fate of genetic polymorphism within a species.
- Future clinical trials may be aimed at specific patient populations determined by genetic polymorphism and other risk factors.
1.3 Computing A feature of a programming language that allows routines to use variables of different types at different times: object oriented programming introduces novel features like polymorphism...
- Late binding in addition to data types provides a needed aspect to allow polymorphism or the choosing of an object's method implementation at run-time.
- RMI uses object serialization to marshal and unmarshal parameters and does not truncate types, supporting true object-oriented polymorphism.
- The doubling-up of parentheses in the way Verity describes is nothing more or less than an early form of polymorphism, as functions can also be seen as virtual arrays of infinite values.
Derivatives
polymorphous
/ adjective ...- In short, I can't decide whether or not I'm a congenital liberal, who found a vent to come out through, or a polymorphous soul which took on the first identity it found to be coherent.
- All manner of mouth noise, acoustic instruments and polymorphous percussion make up its rainbow plumage, essential during mating season.
- The polymorphous nature of identity and the choices we can make about who we are at any given time are some of the great liberations of our age.