polymorphous
/,pɔli'mɔ:fik/ Cách viết khác : (polymorphous) /,pɔli'mɔ:fəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having or occurring in several distinct forms: Describes something that exists in or can take on multiple different shapes, types, or stages.
- Relating to the occurrence of more than one kind of individual in an interbreeding population: A biological term for a species that has multiple distinct forms within a single population, independent of sexual differences.
- Relating to the crystallization of a compound in two or more different forms: A chemistry term describing a substance that can solidify into more than one type of crystal structure.
Usage Examples
- General Use:
- The artist's work is polymorphous, shifting from sculpture to digital media.
- The concept of identity in the novel is deliberately polymorphous.
- Biology:
- The polymorphous nature of the insect species allows it to adapt to different environments.
- A polymorphous population may contain winged and wingless individuals.
- Chemistry:
- The compound exhibits polymorphous crystallization, forming both monoclinic and orthorhombic crystals.
- Studying polymorphous forms is crucial in pharmaceutical development.
Advanced Usage
- "Polymorphous perversity": A psychoanalytic concept (from Freudian theory) referring to the undifferentiated, infantile capacity for deriving sexual pleasure from many parts of the body before sexuality becomes organized under genital primacy.
- Freud described infantile sexuality as characterized by polymorphous perversity.
- Used to describe concepts, ideas, or cultural phenomena that resist a single, fixed definition.
- The meme's meaning was polymorphous, changing with each new context.
Variants and Related Words
- Polymorphic (adj): Often used interchangeably with "polymorphous," especially in scientific contexts (biology, computing).
- Polymorphic viruses are a major challenge for cybersecurity.
- Polymorphism (n): The condition of occurring in several different forms.
- Genetic polymorphism contributes to a population's diversity.
Synonyms
- Multiform: Having many forms or appearances.
- Protean: Tending to change frequently or easily; variable.
- Versatile: Able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities.
Antonyms
- Monomorphous: Existing in only one form.
- Uniform: Not varying; the same in all cases and at all times.
- Invariant: Never changing.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Polymorphous light eruption: A medical term for a common skin rash caused by sunlight.
- She was diagnosed with polymorphous light eruption after hiking.
- Polymorphous transformation: In materials science, a change from one crystal structure to another in the same substance.
- The stability of the drug depends on preventing polymorphous transformation.
Adjective
- having or occurring in several distinct forms
- man is both polymorphic and polytypic
- a polymorphous god
- relating to the occurrence of more than one kind of individual (independent of sexual differences) in an interbreeding population
- a polymorphic species
- relating to the crystallization of a compound in two or more different forms
- polymorphous crystallization