pro·te·us /ˈprotiəs/
 海神,容易變形態之物,容易變身姿的人


 pro·te·us /ˈprotɪəs/ 名詞
 (複protei)變形菌


 Pro·te·us prop. n.
 1. Class. Myth. A sea god in the service of Neptune who assumed different shapes at will. Hence, one who easily changes his appearance or principles.
 2. Zool. A genus of aquatic eel-shaped amphibians of the family Proteidae of the order Urodela, found in caves in the karst regions near the Adriatic from Trieste to Montenegro (including Slovenia, Croatia, and Herzegovina); also called the Olm, White Salamander, and Human fish; it is a true troglobiont (cave animal).  They have permanent external gills as well as lungs.  The vestigial eyes are small and can only perceive light and dark; the legs are weak.  Some were reported in Germany and France, apparently due to human intervention.  It was known to Charles Darwin who wrote about cave animals in The Origin of Species, chapter 5.
 3. A changeable protozoan; an amoeba.

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 Proteus
      n 1: (Greek mythology) a prophetic god who served Poseidon; was
           capable of changing his shape at will
      2: type genus of the Proteidae [syn: genus Proteus]