| 释义 |
pro·te·an
I. \ˈprōd.ēən, -ōtē-, prōˈtēən\ adjective
Usage: sometimes capitalized
Etymology: Proteus, legendary sea god in the service of Neptune who had the power of assuming different shapes (from Latin, from Greek Prōteus) + English -an
1. : characteristic of or resembling Proteus : capable of change : exceedingly variable
< the eyes … were of that baffling protean gray which is never twice the same — Jack London >
2. : readily assuming different shapes or forms
< an amoeba is a protean animalcule >
3. : capable of acting many different roles
< the company was led by a protean actor >
4. : displaying great diversity : possessed of infinite variety
< one of our most protean artists; he has been an architect, a painter, an engraver — New Yorker >
< he is so many-sided, so protean that he refuses to be pigeonholed — Times Literary Supplement >
II. \ˈprōd.ēən\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: prote- + -an
: any of various insoluble primary protein derivatives that result from a slight modification of the protein molecule especially by the incipient action of water, very dilute acids, or enzymes |