poly

¹ American  

[pol-ee] / ˈpɒl i /

adjective

Informal.

1. noting or relating to polyamory; polyamorous.

   They’re in a poly relationship.

2. identifying as polyamorous.

   They’re not monogamous, they’re poly.

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poly. ² American  

abbreviation

1. polytechnic.

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poly ³ American  

[pol-ee] / ˈpɒl i /

noun

plural

polies

1. Informal. polyester.

   a blend of poly and cotton.

2. a fabric or garment made of polyester.

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adjective

1. made of or containing polyester.

   a poly swimsuit.

poly- ⁴ American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “much, many” and, in chemistry, “polymeric,” used in the formation of compound words.

   polyandrous; polyculture; polyethylene.

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poly- ¹ British  

combining form

1. more than one; many or much

   polyhedron

2. having an excessive or abnormal number or amount

   polycythaemia

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poly ² British  

/ ˈpɒlɪ /

noun

1. informal short for polytechnic

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adjective

1. informal short for polyester

2. informal short for polythene

poly– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “many,” as in polygon, a figure having many sides. In chemistry, it is used to form the names of polymers by being attached to the name of the base unit of which the polymer is made, as in polysaccharide, a polymer made of repeating simple sugars (monosaccharides).

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Usage

What does poly- mean? Poly- is a combining form with multiple meanings. In many terms, it is used like a prefix meaning “much, many.” In terms from chemistry, it denotes "polymeric," meaning "of or relating to a polymer." It is often used in a variety of scientific and technical terms, especially in biology.Poly- comes from Greek polýs, meaning “many.” The Latin equivalent of polýs is multus, also meaning both “much” and “many,” which is the source of the combining form multi-. To learn more, check out our Words That Use article about multi-.

Etymology

Origin of poly¹

First recorded in 1990–95; shortening of polyamorous ( def. )

Origin of poly¹

By shortening

Origin of poly-¹

< Greek, combining form representing polýs; akin to Old English fela many. See plus

Example Sentences

The float built by students at Cal Poly Universities won top honors in the 137th Rose Parade.

From Los Angeles Times

The Cal Poly float, called “Jungle Jumpstart,” featured a 40-foot robot, depicted as lying with injuries on the rainforest floor.

From Los Angeles Times

Cal Poly said in a news release.

From Los Angeles Times

“Our jungle engineers — a frog, a monkey, a jaguar and lemurs — work around the robot to bring it back to life,” Aubrey Goings, president of the parade team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times

This year’s entry was Cal Poly’s 77th Rose Parade float.

From Los Angeles Times