multiply

[muhl-tuh-plahy]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR multiply ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), mul·ti·plied, mul·ti·ply·ing.

to make many or manifold; increase the number, quantity, etc., of.

Arithmetic. to find the product of by multiplication.

to breed (animals).

to propagate (plants).

to increase by procreation.

verb (used without object), mul·ti·plied, mul·ti·ply·ing.

to grow in number, quantity, etc.; increase.

Arithmetic. to perform the process of multiplication.

to increase in number by procreation or natural generation.

Nearby words

Origin of multiply

1225–75; Middle English multiplien < Old French multiplier < Latin multiplicāre. See multi-, ply²

SYNONYMS FOR multiply

6. magnify, enlarge, intensify.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR multiply ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsself-mul·ti·plied, adjectiveself-mul·ti·ply·ing, adjectiveun·mul·ti·plied, adjectiveun·mul·ti·ply·ing, adjective

multiply

[muhl-tuh-plee]

adverb

in several or many ways; in a multiple manner; manifoldly.

Origin of multiply

First recorded in 1880–85; multiple + -ly

multi-ply

[muhl-tee-plahy, muhl-tahy-]

adjective

having or composed of several plies: a multi-ply fabric.

Origin of multi-ply

First recorded in 1935–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for multiply

A flamboyant, multi-titled, multiply married royal to remember, the Duchess of Alba died Thursday at the age of 88.
Adiós to the Diva Duchess|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Multiply that number by 365 and you get more than 30,000 families who suffer from gun violence over the course of a year.
Joe the Plumber’s ‘Dead Kid’ Callousness|Erica Lafferty|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
The Story of Noah's Ark From the Bible’s Book of Genesis|The Daily Beast|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
The Story of Noah's Ark From the Bible’s Book of Genesis|The Daily Beast|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As the search for Flight 370 continues, conspiracy theories are sure to multiply and evolve.
The Craziest Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Conspiracy Theories|Caitlin Dickson|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Patience is no virtue of mine, and so far from appearing disposed to amend them, you daily multiply your errors.
Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino, Volume I (of 3)|James Dennistoun
If you would grasp the whole, multiply the conflict on the knoll by ten thousand.
The Last Shot|Frederick Palmer
From the Masovians, who are great people to multiply, and who increase like bees in a hive, are descended most of those colonists.
Hania|Henryk Sienkiewicz
It is better not to multiply difficulties but to hold fast to the actual texts which we know were used in Christian worship.
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries|Ruth Ellis Messenger
And inasmuch as he is faithful, I will multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon him.
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2|Joseph Smith

British Dictionary definitions for multiply

multiply

verb -plies, -plying or -plied

to increase or cause to increase in number, quantity, or degree

(tr) to combine (two numbers or quantities) by multiplication

(intr) to increase in number by reproduction

Derived Formsmultipliable or multiplicable, adjective

Word Origin for multiply

C13: from Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicāre to multiply, from multus much, many + plicāre to fold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for multiply

multiply

mid-12c., multeplier, "to cause to become many," from Old French multiplier, mouteplier (12c.) "increase, get bigger; flourish; breed; extend, enrich," from Latin multiplicare "to increase," from multiplex (genitive multiplicis) "having many folds, many times as great in number," from comb. form of multus (see multi-) + -plex "-fold," from PIE *plek- "to plait" (see ply (v.1.)). Mathematical sense is attested from late 14c. Related: Multiplied; multiplying.

multi-ply

adj.

1950, from multi- + ply (n.).

Medicine definitions for multiply

multiply

[mŭl′tə-plī′]

v.

To increase the amount, number, or degree of.

To breed or propagate.

Science definitions for multiply

multiply

[mŭl′tə-plī′]

To perform multiplication on a pair of quantities.

multiply

verb (used with object), mul·ti·plied, mul·ti·ply·ing.

verb (used without object), mul·ti·plied, mul·ti·ply·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of multiply

multiply

adverb

Origin of multiply

multi-ply

adjective

Origin of multi-ply

Examples from the Web for multiply

multiply

verb -plies, -plying or -plied

Word Origin for multiply

multiply

multi-ply

multiply

v.

multiply