polyandrous
Americanadjective
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of, pertaining to, characterized by, or practicing polyandry; polyandric.
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Botany. having an indefinite number of stamens.
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Relating to a species of animals in which the females mate with more than one male in a single breeding season.
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Relating to an angiosperm plant that has an indefinite number of stamens in its flowers.
Etymology
Origin of polyandrous
First recorded in 1820–30, polyandrous is from the Greek word polyándros having many husbands. See poly-, -androus
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.
Males in polyandrous non-human species can ramp up sperm volume, count, and vitality in response to the presence of rivals.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2022
In polyandrous mating systems, one female mates with many males.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Like pouched mice, wambengers and other dasyurids, kalutas are polyandrous, which means they mate with multiple partners.
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2019
When I examined the wider literature I realized just how common polyandrous mating by females actually was across primates.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 16, 2012
Probably for this reason, the offspring of Kallan polyandrous marriages style themselves the children of eight and two, not ten fathers.
From Omens and Superstitions of Southern India by Thurston, Edgar
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.
