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poly-. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
poly-, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
poly- in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
poly- you have here. The definition of the word
poly- will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús (“much, many”).
Pronunciation
(stress on first syllable; e.g., polymath)
(stress on second syllable; e.g., polyphony)
Prefix
poly-
- many
- polydactyl, polyglot, polyvalent
- Synonyms: multi-; pleo-, pleio-
- Antonyms: mono-, uni-
- Coordinate terms: bi-, di-, tri-, etc; oligo-, pauci-
- polymer
- polyacetal, polyethene, polyether
- polyamory
- polycule, polyphobia, polyfamily
Derived terms
Translations
References
Further reading
Anagrams
Dutch
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús (“much, many”).
Pronunciation
Prefix
poly-
- poly-
Derived terms
Finnish
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús).
Pronunciation
Prefix
poly-
- poly-
Usage notes
Terms that violate Finnish vowel harmony are occasionally adapted to fit it, particularly in colloquial speech. As such, poly- may be pronounced polu-.
Derived terms
French
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús (“much, many”).
Pronunciation
Prefix
poly-
- poly- (many)
- Synonyms: multi-, pluri-
- Antonyms: mono-, uni-
Derived terms
German
Etymology
Ultimately from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”).
Pronunciation
Prefix
poly-
- poly-
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús (“much, many”). Related to full and fleire.
Prefix
poly-
- poly-
- Synonyms: fleir-, mange-
- Antonym: (often) mono-
Derived terms
References