polymorphism

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From poly- + -morphism.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /pɒlɪˈmɔːfɪz(ə)m/, X-SAMPA: /pQlI"mO:fIz@m/
• (US) enPR: päl-ē-môrʹfĭz-əm, IPA: /pɑliˈmɔɹfɪzəm/, X-SAMPA: /pAli"mOrfIz@m/

Noun

polymorphism (countable and uncountable; plural polymorphisms)

1. The ability to assume different forms or shapes.
2. (biology) The coexistence, in the same locality, of two or more distinct forms independent of sex, not connected by intermediate gradations, but produced from common parents.
3. (computer science) The feature of object-oriented programming pertaining to the dynamic treatment of data elements based on their type, allowing for an instance of a method to have several definitions.
4. (mathematics, type theory) The property of certain typed formal systems of allowing for the use of type variables and binders/quantifiers over those type variables; likewise, the property of certain expressions (within such typed formal systems) of making use of at least one such typed variable.
5. (crystallography) The ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure; pleomorphism.
6. (genetics) The regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population; also, variability of amino acid sequences within a gene's protein.
   • 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial 2004, p. 137:

     Since 1990 they have found an entirely new role: they promise understanding of how and why our genes are all so different. They hold the key to human polymorphism.

Derived terms

Derived terms

ad-hoc polymorphism inclusion polymorphism

parametric polymorphism subtype polymorphism

Related terms

Related terms

dimorphism monomorphism

polymorph polymorphic

polymorphistic polymorphous

Translations

ability to assume different forms or shapes

• Czech: polymorfizmus (cs) m
• Dutch: polymorfisme (nl) n
• Finnish: monimuotoisuus, muunneltavuus
• French: polymorphisme (fr) m
• German: Polymorphie (de) f
• Greek: πολυμορφισμός (el) (polimorfismós) m
• Icelandic: fjölbrigðni (is) f, fjölbreytni (is) f, fjölmótun (is) f
• Italian: polimorfismo (it) m

• Japanese: 多形 (ja) (takei), 多態 (ja) (tatai)
• Manx: yl-chrooaght (gv)
• Polish: polimorfizm (pl) m
• Portuguese: polimorfismo (pt) m
• Serbo-Croatian: polimorfizam (sh) m, višeobličje (sh) n
• Slovene: polimorfizem (sl) m
• Swedish: polymorfism
• Turkish: çok biçimlilik (tr), polymorfizm (tr)

biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex

• Czech: mnohotvarost (cs) f
• Dutch: polymorfisme (nl) n
• Finnish: monimuotoisuus, polymorfismi
• French: polymorphisme (fr) m
• German: Polymorphismus (de) m
• Greek: πολυμορφισμός (el) (polimorfismós) m

• Icelandic: fjölbrigðni f, fjölbreytni f
• Italian: polimorfismo (it) m
• Japanese: 多形性 (ja) (takei-sei)
• Polish: polimorfizm (pl) m
• Slovene: polimorfizem (sl) m
• Swedish: polymorfism

computer science: feature of object-oriented programming

• Czech: polymorfismus (cs) m, polymorfizmus (cs) m
• Dutch: polymorfisme (nl) n
• French: polymorphisme (fr) m
• German: Polymorphie (de) f
• Icelandic: fjölbrigðni f, fjölbreytni f, fjölmótun (is) f
• Irish: polamorfacht (ga) f
• Italian: polimorfismo (it) m

• Japanese: 多形性 (ja) (takei-sei)
• Polish: polimorfizm (pl) m
• Portuguese: polimorfismo (pt) m
• Serbo-Croatian: polimorfizam (sh) m, višeobličje (sh) n
• Swedish: polymorfism
• Turkish: çok biçimlilik (tr), polymorfizm (tr)

crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form

• Dutch: polymorfisme (nl) n
• Finnish: polymorfia, polymorfismi
• French: polymorphisme (fr) m
• Icelandic: fjölbrigðni f, fjölbreytni f

• Italian: polimorfismo (it) m
• Japanese: 多形 (ja) (takei), 同質異像 (ja) (dōshitsu-izō)
• Polish: polimorfizm (pl) m
• Serbo-Croatian: polimorfizam (sh) m

genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population

• German: Polymorphismus (de) m, Vielgestaltigkeit (de) f

• Turkish: çok biçimlilik (tr), polimorfizm (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Alemannic German: polymorphism
• Esperanto: polymorfismo
• German: Polymorphie f, Vielgestaltigkeit f
• Ido: polimorfismo m
• Interlingua: polimorfismo
• Korean: polimal?bisumu

• Latin: polymorphismus
• Latvian: polimorfizma
• Luxembourgish: polymorphism
• Spanish: polymorfismo (es) m

See also

• RFLP
• riflip