A phage capsid into which more than one phage genome has been packaging.
Alternatively…
A formulation, often used therapeutically, that consists of more than one phage type.
In the case of polyphages as multiple-genome containing virions, this is a phenomenon that appears to be observed predominantly with filamentous phages. In the case of polyphage referring to different phage types, contrast the term monophage and note that the term cocktail is often used synonymously with polyphage as well as more frequently than polyphage. It is difficult to conclude which of these two concepts is more prevalently described as a polyphage, and both appear to be legitimate usages.
Polyphage can also be described equivalently to the terms polyphagous and polyphagy, meaning the consumption by an organism or species of more than one food type. This latter usage is not wholly equivalent to that of multiple phage types, though some overlap exists to the extent that multiple phage types can have collective host ranges – with different bacterial strains that are broader than those of monophages.
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