proteus
1 of 2noun (1)
pro·te·us ˈprō-tē-əs 
plural protei ˈprō-tē-ˌī
: any of a genus (Proteus) of aerobic usually motile enterobacteria that include saprophytes in decaying organic matter and a common causative agent (P. mirabilis) of urinary tract infections
Proteus
2 of 2noun (2)
Pro·teus ˈprō-ˌtyüs
-tē-əs,
-ˌtüs : a Greek sea god capable of assuming different forms
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
New Latin, from Latin, Proteus
Noun (2)
Latin, from Greek Prōteus
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1896, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
proteus
noun
pro·te·us ˈprōt-ē-əs
1
capitalized : a genus of aerobic gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae that ferment glucose but not lactose and decompose urea, that are usually motile by means of peritrichous flagella, and that include saprophytes in decaying organic matter and a common causative agent (P. mirabilis) of urinary tract infections
2
plural protei -ˌī : any bacterium of the genus Proteus
: any bacterium of the genus Proteus