polymorphism

noun

• the condition of occurring in several different forms:the complexity and polymorphism of human cognition
• Biology the occurrence of different forms among the members of a population or colony, or in the life cycle of an individual organism.
• Genetics the presence of genetic variation within a population, upon which natural selection can operate.
• Biochemistry the occurrence of a number of alternative forms within a section of a nucleic acid or protein molecule.
• Computing a feature of a programming language that allows routines to use variables of different types at different times.