DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
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
3. A changeable protozoan; an amoeba.
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