polyandry

[ pol-ee-an-dree, pol-ee-an- ]

/ ˈpɒl iˌæn dri, ˌpɒl iˈæn- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR polyandry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the practice or condition of having more than one husband at one time.Compare monandry(def 1).

(among female animals) the habit or system of having two or more mates, either simultaneously or successively.

Botany. the state of being polyandrous.

RELATED WORDS

polygyny, bigamy

Nearby words

polyamorous, polyamory, polyandric, polyandrist, polyandrous, polyandry, polyangiitis, polyangular, polyanion, polyanthus, polyarchy

Origin of polyandry

From the Greek word polyandría, dating back to 1770–80. See poly-, -andry

Can be confused

bigamy polyandry polygamy polygyny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for polyandry

It is obviously nothing but a combination of polyandry and polygyny.
Elements of Folk Psychology|Wilhelm Wundt
Tibetan polyandry still prevails in Soraj, but has almost died out elsewhere.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 8|Various
In islands, as in unproductive highlands where hunger stalks abroad, marriage readily takes the form of polyandry.
Influences of Geographic Environment|Ellen Churchill Semple
Scarcity of women gives rise to polyandry in Tahiti,999 and consigns one woman to four or five men.
Influences of Geographic Environment|Ellen Churchill Semple

In polyandry, poverty often plays a greater part than consanguineous marriages or surplus of male births.
The Sexual Question|August Forel

British Dictionary definitions for polyandry

polyandry

/ (ˈpɒlɪˌændrɪ) /

noun

the practice or condition of being married to more than one husband at the same timeCompare polygamy

the practice in animals of a female mating with more than one male during one breeding season

the condition in flowers of having a large indefinite number of stamens

See polygyny

Derived Forms

polyandrous, adjective

Word Origin for polyandry

C18: from Greek poluandria, from poly- + -andria from anēr man

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for polyandry

polyandry

[ (pol-ee-an-dree) ]

A practice in which women have two or more husbands at the same time. A rare form of polygamy, polyandry is practiced by only a few cultures. (Compare monogamy.)