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Definition of plethora - 6 dictionary results

pleth⋅o⋅ra

[pleth-er-uh]
–noun
1. overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance.
2. Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood.

Origin:
1535–45; < NL < Gk plēthra fullness
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pleth·o·ra   (plěth'ər-ə)   
n.  
  1. A superabundance; an excess.

  2. An excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area.


[Late Latin plēthōra, from Greek, from plēthein, to be full; see pelə-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry:  plethora
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  excess; overabundance
Etymology:  Greek 'fullness'
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Word Origin & History

plethora 
1541, a medical word for "excess of body fluid," from L.L. plethora, from Gk. plethore "fullness," from plethein "be full" (see poly-). Fig. meaning "too much, overfullness in any respect" is first recorded 1700.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pleth·o·ra
Pronunciation: 'pleth-&-r&
Function: noun
: a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked byturgescence and a florid complexion —ple·tho·ric /pl&-'thor-ik, ple-, -'thär-; 'pleth-&-rik/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

plethora pleth·o·ra (plěth'ər-ə)
n.

  1. An excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area.

  2. An excess of any of the body fluids.


ple·thor'ic (plě-thôr'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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