/ ˈprəʊtiən; prəʊˈtiːən; NAmE ˈproʊ-; proʊˈt-/ adjective
( literary ) able to change quickly and easily :
a protean character
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from Proteus (a minor sea god in Greek mythology who had the power of prophecy but who changed shapes to avoid answering questions) + -an .