poly- +
(Greek: many, much; too many, too much, excessive; abnormal)
Don’t confuse this poly- with another -poly which means “to sell”.
polygalactia
Excessive secretion of milk.
Polygamia est plurium simul virorum uxorumve connubium
Polygamy is a marriage with many husbands or wives at one time.
—Black’s Law Dictionary, 6th ed.; West Publishing Co.;
St. Paul, Minnesota;1990.
polygamist
Someone who commits polygamy or who has multiple marriages.
polygamous
1. A reference to the civil offense of having several wives or husbands at the same time; or having more than two wives or husbands at the same time.
2. Bigamy literally means a second marriage distinguished from a third or additional marriage; while polygamous refers to many marriages and implies more than two.
To marry once is a duty, twice a folly, thrice is madness.
—Dutch Proverb
God help the man who won't marry until he finds a perfect woman, and God help him even more if he finds her.
—Benjamin Tillett
Regardless of how they are expressed, all of them represent excesses!
With polygyny and polygynous, we have the marriage of a man to more than two women at the same time. Then we have polygamy and polygamous:
- The civil offense of having several wives or husbands at the same time; or having more than two wives or husbands at the same time.
- Bigamy literally means a second marriage distinguished from a third or additional marriage; while polygamy means many marriages and implies more than two.
Polygamia est plurium simul virorum uxorumve conubium.
"Polygamy is the marriage with many husbands or wives at one time".
There are more details about polygamy here.
polygamy
A click on the image will take you to the series of illustrated quizzes which will appear in random order or you may click on this image quiz link.
There are cultures in this world that have
polygamy as an acceptable form of life.
Polygamy Sections
Parts 1, 2, and 3 of
polygamy are located here.
polygarchy
1. A term sometimes used to denote a government of many or several.
2. A government where the sovereignty is shared by several people.
3. A collegiate, or divided executive.
polygastria
The excessive secretion or flow of gastric juice.
polygenesis
Origin from more than one species, line of ancestors, or sources.
polyglandular, pluriglandular
Pertaining to or affecting many glands.
polyglot
1. Capable of reading, writing, or speaking many languages.
2. Written or communicated in many languages.
polygon
A geometrical plane figure with three or more straight sides; a figure of many angles.
polygoneutic, polygoneutism
In biology, producing several broods per year or season.
polygram
A figure or design consisting of many lines.
polygraph
Also known as a lie detector, it is an electro-mechanical instrument used to determine whether an examinee is truthfully answering questions.
It simultaneously measures and records certain physiological changes in the human body which it is believed are involuntarily caused by an examinee’s conscious attempt to deceive an interrogator.
Related topics utilizing this poly- prefix: Polysemy and Polysemous and Polygamy Sections.
Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "more, plentiful, fullness, excessive, over flowing":
copi-;
exuber-;
hyper-;
multi-;
opulen-;
ple-;
pleio-;
plethor-;
super-;
total-;
ultra-;
undu-.
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