Main Entry: pro·te·us

Pronunciation: \ˈprō-tē-əs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural -tei\-tē-ˌī\

Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, Proteus

Date: 1896

: any of a genus (Proteus) of aerobic usually motile enterobacteria that include saprophytes in decaying organic matter and a common causative agent (P. mirabilis) of urinary tract infections