different between poly vs multiple

English

Etymology 1

Shortening of various words.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Noun

poly (plural polys)

1. Polytechnic.
2. Polyethylene (polythene).
3. Polyurethane
4. (chiefly computer graphics) Polygon.

   Hyponyms: rect, tri

   • 2009, Andrew Paquette, Computer Graphics for Artists II: Environments and Characters:

     The most common poly budget in use for games at the time of this writing is between 5,000 and 10,000 tris.

5. (uncountable) Polyester.

   a cotton-poly blend

6. (chiefly informal) Polyamory.
7. (chiefly informal) A polyamorous person.

Adjective

poly (not comparable)

1. (chiefly informal) Polyamorous.

Coordinate terms

• mono

Verb

poly (third-person singular simple present polys, present participle polying, simple past and past participle polyed)

1. (transitive, video games, roguelikes) To polymorph; to transform by magic.

Derived terms

• polyless
• polypile

Etymology 2

Latin polium, the name of a plant, perhaps Teucrium polium.

Alternative forms

• poley

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p??li/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?po?li/
• Rhymes: -??li

Noun

poly

1. A whitish woolly plant (Teucrium polium) of the family Labiatae, found throughout the Mediterranean.

Usage notes

• The name, with various prefixes, is sometimes given to other related species of the same genus.

Derived terms

• poly-mountain

Further reading

• poly in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• ploy

French

Adjective

poly (plural polys)

1. (slang) Clipping of polytechnique.
2. (slang) Clipping of polyvalent.

Noun

poly m or f (plural polys)

1. (slang) Clipping of polytechnique. (this is itself a clipping of institut polytechnique or école polytechnique)
2. (slang) Clipping of polyvalente. (this is itself a clipping of institut polyvalent or école polyvalente)

English

Etymology

From French multiple, itself from Late Latin multiplus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?lt?pl?/

Adjective

multiple (not comparable)

1. More than one (followed by plural).

2. Having more than one element, part, component, or function, having more than one instance, occurring more than once, usually contrary to expectations (can be followed by a singular).

Synonyms

• (more than one): manifold, many, morefold, several; see also Thesaurus:manifold
• plural

Antonyms

• (many): paucal (rare)

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

multiple (plural multiples)

1. (mathematics) A whole number that can be divided by another number with no remainder.
   • 14, 21 and 70 are multiples of 7
2. (finance) Price-earnings ratio.
3. One of a set of the same thing; a duplicate.
   • 1996, Southeastern College Art Conference Review

     One might view this attempt to ensure the scarcity of a multiple as both a marketing ploy and form of elitism.

4. A single individual who has multiple personalities.
   • 2010, Ann M. Garvey, Ann's Multiple World of Personality: Regular No Cream, No Sugar

     I had seen its first show when it was a freebie, but I thought it made multiples in general look silly – no one changes clothes THAT much!

   • 2000, Henk Driessen, Ton Otto, Perplexities of identification (page 115)

     Non-abused multiples have no need of doctors, and they have carved out a foothold of their own from where they speak confidently about their utopian vision of a multiple world.

5. One of a set of siblings produced by a multiple birth.
6. A chain store.
   • 1979, Management Today (page 96)

     The big advantage such multiples can offer over a purely catalogue operation is that winners can be given shopping vouchers enabling them to choose from goods on display in the multiples' many outlets (Woolworths, for example, has 1,000).

7. A discovery resulting from the work of many people throughout history, not merely the work of the person who makes the final connection.
   • 2016, Thomas Söderqvist, The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography (page 99)

     Merton's argument that all scientific discoveries are multiples would seem to contradict the theory of genius […]

8. This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
   • 1976, Jewelers' Circular/Keystone (volume 147, issues 1-6, page 40)

     First of all, the 'greenhorn' stigma of piercing has worn off. The older woman sees her daughter wearing multiples. So she's confident enough to have her ears pierced at least once.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• pull time

French

Etymology

From Late Latin multiplus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /myl.tipl/

Adjective

multiple (plural multiples)

1. multiple

Noun

multiple m (plural multiples)

1. (mathematics) Multiple.

Further reading

• “multiple” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Adjective

multiple

1. feminine plural of multiplo

Latin

Adjective

multiple

1. vocative masculine singular of multiplus

Swedish

Adjective

multiple

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of multipel.

Anagrams

• multipel