polymorphism
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
polymorphism (countable and uncountable, plural polymorphisms)
- The ability to assume different forms or shapes.
- (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.
- (object-oriented programming) The feature pertaining to the dynamic treatment of data elements based on their type, allowing for an instance of a method to have several definitions.
- (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.
- (crystallography) The ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure; pleomorphism.
- (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.
- 2004, Richard Dawkins, The Ancestor's Tale, Phoenix 2005, p. 63:
- Some polymorphisms can be quite stable – so stable that they span the change from an ancestral to a descendant species.
- 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial 2004, p. 137:
Hyponyms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
ability to assume different forms or shapes
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biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex
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computer science: feature of object-oriented programming
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crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form
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genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
polymorphism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Categories:
- English terms prefixed with poly-
- English terms suffixed with -morphism
- English 5-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Biology
- en:Object-oriented programming
- en:Mathematics
- en:Crystallography
- en:Genetics
- English terms suffixed with -ism