multiply
1 Americanadverb
verb (used with object)
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to make many or manifold; increase the number, quantity, etc., of.
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Arithmetic. to find the product of by multiplication.
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to breed (animals).
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to propagate (plants).
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to increase by procreation.
verb (used without object)
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to grow in number, quantity, etc.; increase.
- Synonyms:
- mushroom, grow, proliferate
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Arithmetic. to perform the process of multiplication.
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to increase in number by procreation or natural generation.
verb
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to increase or cause to increase in number, quantity, or degree
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(tr) to combine (two numbers or quantities) by multiplication
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(intr) to increase in number by reproduction
Other Word Forms
- multipliable adjective
- self-multiplied adjective
- self-multiplying adjective
- unmultiplied adjective
- unmultiplying adjective
Etymology
Origin of multiply1
First recorded in 1880–85; multiple + -ly
Origin of multiply1
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English multiplien, from Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicāre; multi-, ply 2
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.
Track your usage for a week and multiply by four, because that’s roughly what you need monthly.
From Salon
But as cancer cells grow and multiply they shed tiny fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream.
From BBC
The number of solar panel installation companies has multiplied since 2024, when the Cuban government relaxed restrictions on importing the mostly Chinese-made devices.
From Barron's
First I showed him how every answer is just the number you’re multiplying the ten by, with a zero after it.
From Literature
As data centers have multiplied, it is getting more challenging for many utilities to handle surges in demand.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
