Dictionary

polymorphism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɒlɪˈmɔːfɪz(ə)m/ (UK)
• /pɑliˈmɔɹfɪz(ə)m/ (US)
• päl-ē-môrʹfĭz-əm (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

* (object-oriented programming) Coined by British computer scientist Christopher Strachey in 1967. By surface analysis, poly- + -morphism.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The ability to assume different forms or shapes.
2. (countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, qualifier:object-oriented programming, uncountable) A feature pertaining to the dynamic treatment of data elements based on their type, allowing for a method to have several definitions.
4. (countable, qualifier:type theory, uncountable) 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. (countable, uncountable) The ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure; pleomorphism.
6. (countable, uncountable) 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.
   • 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. 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 137:
   • Some polymorphisms can be quite stable – so stable that they span the change from an ancestral to a descendant species. 2004, Richard Dawkins, The Ancestor's Tale, Phoenix, published 2005, page 63:

Forms

Deriveds

micropolymorphism

Hyponyms

inclusion polymorphism · subtype polymorphism · parametric polymorphism · dynamic polymorphism · ad-hoc polymorphism · copy number polymorphism · static polymorphism

Relateds

monomorphism · polymorphous · dimorphism · polymorph · polymorphistic · riflip · polymorphic · RFLP · metamorphism

Translations (104)

is fjölbrigðni (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · fi monimuotoisuus (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · pt polimorfismo (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ru полиморфи́зм (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · uk поліморфі́зм (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · ru полиморфи́зм (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · is fjölbreytni (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · it polimorfismo (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · is fjölbrigðni (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · sv polymorfism (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ja 多態 (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · tr polymorfizm (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ca polimorfisme (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · fi polymorfismi (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · el πολυμορφισμός (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · de Polymorphismus (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · pt polimorfismo (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · fi monimuotoisuus (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · is fjölbreytni (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · ja 多相性 (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · gv yl-chrooaght (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · fr polymorphisme (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · pt polimorfismo (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · ru полиморфи́зм (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · is fjölmótun (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · is fjölmótun (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ca polimorfisme (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · pl polimorfizm (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · fi polymorfismi (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · de Polymorphie (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · tr polimorfizm (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · nl polymorfisme (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · pl polimorfizm (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · sh višeobličje (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · tr çok biçimlilik (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ja 多態性 (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · it polimorfismo (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · fr polymorphisme (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · fr polymorphisme (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · nl polymorfisme (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · is fjölbreytni (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · cs mnohotvarost (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · pt polimorfismo (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · ro polimorfism (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · cs polymorfizmus (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · nl polymorfisme (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · sl polimorfizem (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · it polimorfismo (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · de Polymorphie (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · is fjölbrigðni (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · cmn 多態性 /多态性 (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · cs polymorfizmus (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · it polimorfismo (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · fi polymorfismi (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · ru полиморфи́зм (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · tr polymorfizm (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · pt polimorfismo (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · fi muunneltavuus (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · pl polimorfizm (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · kk көп пішінділік (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · cmn 多态性 (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · cs polymorfismus (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · uk поліморфі́зм (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · pl polimorfizm (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · sv polymorfism (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · ja 多形 (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · fi monimuotoisuus (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · fi polymorfia (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · ga polamorfacht (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · de Polymorphismus (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · fr polymorphisme (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · ja 多形 (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · es polimorfismo (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · fi polymorfismi (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · pl polimorfizm (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · kk көппiшiндiлiк (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · ca polimorfisme (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · de Vielgestaltigkeit (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · tr çok biçimlilik (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · fi monimuotoisuus (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · sh polimorfizam (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · is fjölbreytni (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · sl polimorfizem (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · sh polimorfizam (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · el πολυμορφισμός (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · hu polimorfizmus (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · uk поліморфі́зм (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · nl polymorfisme (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · kk полиморфизм (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · is fjölbrigðni (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · sh višeobličje (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · it polimorfismo (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · el πολυμορφισμός (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · sv polymorfism (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · es polimorfia (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · hy պոլիմորֆիզմ (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · es polimorfismo (ability to assume different forms or shapes) · el πολυμορφισμός (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · ja 多形性 (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · ja 同質異像 (crystallography: ability of a material to exist in more than one form) · fr polymorphisme (biology: coexistence of two or more distinct forms independent of sex) · sh polimorfizam (computer science: feature of object-oriented programming) · hu polimorfizmus (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population) · tr çok biçimlilik (genetics: regular existence of two or more different genotypes within a given species or population)