manifold

[man-uh-fohld]

adjective

1. of many kinds; numerous and varied.

   manifold duties.

   Synonyms: multitudinous, various
   Antonyms: single, simple

2. having numerous different parts, elements, features, forms, etc..

   a manifold program for social reform.

   Synonyms: multifarious, divers, varied

3. using, functioning with, or operating several similar or identical devices at the same time.

4. (of paper business forms) made up of a number of sheets interleaved with carbon paper.

5. being such or so designated for many reasons.

   a manifold enemy.

noun

1. something having many different parts or features.

2. a copy or facsimile, as of something written, such as is made by manifolding.

3. any thin, inexpensive paper for making carbon copies on a typewriter.

4. Machinery.,  a chamber having several outlets through which a liquid or gas is distributed or gathered.

5. Philosophy.,  (in Kantian epistemology) the totality of discrete items of experience as presented to the mind; the constituents of a sensory experience.

6. Mathematics.,  a topological space that is connected and locally Euclidean.

verb (used with object)

1. to make copies of, as with carbon paper.

manifold

/ ˈmænɪˌfəʊld /

adjective

1. of several different kinds; multiple

   manifold reasons

2. having many different forms, features, or elements

   manifold breeds of dog

noun

1. something having many varied parts, forms, or features

2. a copy of a page, book, etc

3. a chamber or pipe with a number of inlets or outlets used to collect or distribute a fluid. In an internal-combustion engine the inlet manifold carries the vaporized fuel from the carburettor to the inlet ports and the exhaust manifold carries the exhaust gases away

4. maths

   1. a collection of objects or a set

   2. a topological space having specific properties

5. (in the philosophy of Kant) the totality of the separate elements of sensation which are then organized by the active mind and conceptualized as a perception of an external object

verb

1. (tr) to duplicate (a page, book, etc)

2. to make manifold; multiply

manifold

1. A topological space or surface.

Other Word Forms

• manifoldly adverb
• manifoldness noun
• manifolder noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of manifold¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English manigf(e)ald (adjective). See many, -fold

Word History and Origins

Origin of manifold¹

Old English manigfeald. See _many , _-fold

Synonym Study

See many.

Example Sentences

"The conversations are kind of manifold and different," Murphy said of the reaction to the film so far.

From BBC

Some are wildly extravagant, proliferating heads and arms into delirious phantasms of multiple personality and manifold temperaments.

From Los Angeles Times

Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the manifold nicknames "don't raise concerns" in the office of the president but simply "capture how people view a person".

From BBC

Hurley’s talents were manifold — he designed and illustrated most of his charming hand-drawn album art, and learned a diversity of instruments including banjo and fiddle.

From Los Angeles Times

Deltopia’s dangers are manifold and include steep coastal bluffs, drug overdoses, excessive drinking and outbreaks of violence, according to a warning issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

From Los Angeles Times