Synonyms

polyphagia

American

[pol-ee-fey-jee-uh, -juh] / ˌpɒl iˈfeɪ dʒi ə, -dʒə /

noun

Pathology. excessive desire to eat.
Zoology. the habit of subsisting on many different kinds of food.

polyphagia British

/ ˌpɒlɪˈfeɪdʒə, pəˈlɪfəɡəs /

noun

1. an abnormal desire to consume excessive amounts of food, esp as the result of a neurological disorder
2. an insatiable appetite
the habit of certain animals, esp certain insects, of feeding on many different types of food

"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

Other Word Forms

polyphagian noun
polyphagic adjective
polyphagist noun
polyphagous adjective

Etymology

Origin of polyphagia

1685–95; < New Latin < Greek polyphagía; poly-, -phagy

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.

Drake reports a curious instance of polyphagia.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023