poly

¹ 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 ² 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- ³ 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. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. polytechnic.

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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

By shortening

Origin of poly²

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

Origin of poly-³

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

Example Sentences

Jarred Cuellar, a political science assistant professor at Cal Poly Pomona, described Grose’s methodology as “thoughtful” and “empirically grounded,” and characterized the concerns raised by candidates not included in the debate as unfounded and not credible.

From Los Angeles Times

Sun Valley Poly 11, Sylmar 9: The Parrots improved to 3-0 in the Valley Mission League with a huge win over preseason favorite Sylmar.

From Los Angeles Times

For girls, Cheryl Miller still holds the most points scored at 41 when Riverside Poly won Division I in 1982 at the Oakland Coliseum over Los Gatos 77-44.

From Los Angeles Times

Sherman has since been hired as the first flag football coach at Cal Poly.

From Los Angeles Times

The chorus is partially sung in German, while the verses reference traditional English desserts like "roly poly with custard".

From BBC