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polyphasic

American  
[pol-ee-fey-zik] / ˌpɒl iˈfeɪ zɪk /

adjective

  1. having more than two phases.

  2. habitually doing more than one thing at a time.

    a polyphasic personality.


Etymology

Origin of polyphasic

First recorded in 1920–25; polyphase + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mice are nocturnal and are "polyphasic sleepers" -- napping for a few minutes before arousing briefly to survey their environment and then resuming their slumber.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

Some have pushed polyphasic sleep as a way to “biohack” the body and extend waking hours.

From National Geographic • Jan. 4, 2024

Cats are nocturnal, and dogs are polyphasic sleepers, which means they have about three sleep/wake cycles per hour at night, says Jerry Klein, the American Kennel Club’s chief veterinary officer.

From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2021

Yes, there is a jape about polyphasic sleep.

From The Verge • Feb. 26, 2020

From an infant's polyphasic snippets of slumber to the “hyper-associative problem-solving benefits” of REM dreaming, Walker's investigation is anything but soporific.

From Nature • Oct. 10, 2017

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