polygyny

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English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πολύ (polú, “many”) + γυνή (gunḗ, “woman, wife”). By surface analysis, poly- +‎ -gyny.

Pronunciation

Noun

polygyny (countable and uncountable, plural polygynies)

  1. The state or practice of having several wives at the same time; plurality of wives; marriage to several wives.
    • 1883, Herbert Spencer, The Principles of Sociology, page 685:
      We may infer that in most cases where polygyny exists, monogamy co-exists to a greater extent, and in all other cases to a considerable extent.
  2. The condition of an ant colony that has multiple egg-laying queens.

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