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