polymorphic — Englisches Wörterbuch

Adjektiv

1. Relating to polymorphism (any sense), able to have several shapes or forms.

   Gebrauch

   • not-comparable

   Beispiele

   Weitere Beispiele (2)

   I refer to those genera which have sometimes been called "protean" or "polymorphic," in which the species present an inordinate amount of variation; and hardly two naturalists can agree which forms to rank as species and which as varieties.

   1897, Grant Allen, An African Millionaire Dr. Beddersley came -- a dapper little man, with pent-house eyebrows, and keen, small eyes, whom I suspected at sight of being Colonel Clay himself in another of his clever polymorphic embodiments.

2. Having or relating to the ability to take multiple data types for a single parameter.

   Gebrauch

   • not-comparable
   • of a function

   Beispiele

   Polymorphic redefinition in C++ is achieved by the use of virtual functions.

   Weitere Beispiele (1)

   A polymorphic call looks like a procedural call, but where a procedural call has only one possible target subroutine, a polymorphic call can result in the execution of one of several different subroutines.

3. Relating to a compound that can crystallize into two or more distinct forms (e.g. carbon, which can crystalize into coal, graphite, diamond, etc.)

   Gebrauch

   • not-comparable

   Beispiele

   Weitere Beispiele (1)

   The fact that polymorphic equilibrium is not a dynamic equilibrium is significant with respect to the random distribution of velocity of temperature agitation among the molecules.

4. Being or relating to polymorphic content; developed for multiple formats from the start, instead of being adapted later.

   Gebrauch

   • not-comparable

Adjektiv

1. relating to the crystallization of a compound in two or more different forms

   Synonyme

   polymorphous

   Beispiele

   polymorphous crystallization

2. relating to the occurrence of more than one kind of individual (independent of sexual differences) in an interbreeding population

   Synonyme

   polymorphous

   Beispiele

   a polymorphic species

3. having or occurring in several distinct forms

   Synonyme

   polymorphous

   Beispiele

   man is both polymorphic and polytypic

   a polymorphous god