What does "hybrid" mean?

Traditionally the word "hybrid" was most commonly used in biology, to indicate a plant or animal that was developed by cross-breeding (combining) two different plants or animals.
Hybrids have been in the news a lot recently, with the term applied to cars that can run on both gasoline and electricity.
Back in the 1980s, Panasonic introduced the first hybrid phone systems.
Traditionally, phone systems were available in two general types. The key system used multi-line phones and the PBX (Private Branch Exchange) used single-line phones. Panasonic hybrids could use either type of phone.
The newest Panasonic KX-TDA and KX-TDE phone systems have taken hybridization to a new level. In addition to combining the features of both key systems and PBXs, they can also use both conventional phone wiring and Internet Protocal (IP) networking to connect the phones.
They are also hybrids in another sense: their ability to use both corded and cordless phones.