Poik

Poik is a term used in speculative fiction, design discourse, and some academic writings to denote variation, diversity, or irregularity within a system. The word derives from the Greek poikilos, meaning varied, multicolored, or irregular. In theory and modeling, Poik is commonly used as a variable label or conceptual placeholder for heterogeneity among agents, outcomes, or components.

In art and design, Poik describes processes that blend disparate elements—colors, forms, or motifs—to produce a heterogeneous, mosaic-like result. In computational creativity and generative art, Poik may designate a parameter that tunes the balance between conformity and novelty, guiding how much variation the system introduces in successive outputs.

In fiction and worldbuilding, Poik has been adopted as a fictional term or proper name to signal chromatic richness or diversity, such as a place, artifact, or character associated with variety. Because it is not a standardized term, its meaning can differ by author or project.

In biology and medicine, the root poikilo- (from poikilos) appears in compound terms such as poikilothermy and poikilocytosis, where it describes irregularity or variation in physiological traits. These uses are linguistically related but conceptually distinct from the design-focused uses of Poik.

See also: poikilotherm, poikilocytosis, poikilos.