Jump to:

• poly
  poly

  noun

  polyester.
• poly-
  poly-

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

  abbreviation

  polytechnic.
• poly–
  poly–

  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).

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

poly. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. polytechnic.

---

poly- ¹ British  

combining form

1. more than one; many or much

   polyhedron

2. having an excessive or abnormal number or amount

   polycythaemia

---

poly ² British  

/ ˈpɒlɪ /

noun

1. informal short for polytechnic

---

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).

---

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

Two months later, he recruited Steve Hoyt, another Cal Poly grad with a doctorate in environmental science, who has built a business on the Central Coast testing soil samples.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Two months later, he recruited Steve Hoyt, another Cal Poly grad with a doctorate in environmental science who has built a business on the Central Coast testing soil samples.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

The work, led by Cal Poly Physics Department Lecturer Ian Powell, focused on how varying a magnetic field over time can cause matter to exhibit unusual and previously unseen properties.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Powell and student researcher Louis Buchalter, who earned a Cal Poly bachelor's degree in physics in 2025, published their findings in Physical Review B in a paper titled "Flux-Switching Floquet Engineering."

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

That evening at work I thought about our visit to Cal Poly.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez