polymorphic

[ pol-ee-mawr-fik ]

adjective

1. Biology. (of a species) having more than one form or type as a result of discontinuous variation:

   Cabbage, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower are all forms of a single polymorphic species.

2. Computers. of or relating to a virus or other malignant code that has many forms, changing as it replicates:

   Polymorphic malware, which changes its identity up to 19 times a day to avoid detection while taking control of users' computers, has been successfully deactivated.

3. Crystallography. of or relating to a substance that crystallizes into two or more forms having different structure but identical chemistry:

   The pharmaceutical under study here, at five structurally characterized forms, is one of the most polymorphic drugs known.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polymorphic¹

poly- ( def ) + -morphic ( def )

Example Sentences

T. cristinae is polymorphic in regard to its body color and pattern.

From Science Daily

"Our study, for the first time ever, showed that various polymorphic structures of borophene interact with cells differently and their cellular internalization pathways are uniquely dictated by their structures."

From Science Daily

However, this material is polymorphic, meaning it has multiple phases with different crystalline structures.

From Science Daily

The technology also aims to produce advanced “polymorphic” malware that can rapidly evade network security software, the report said.

From Washington Times

The genes that code for each opsin has seven sites in the gene that are polymorphic: They can have different letters of DNA.

From Scientific American