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poly

[pol-ee]

Origin

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noun

Informal. polyester (def. 2): a blend of poly and cotton.

a fabric or garment made of polyester.

adjective

made of or containing polyester: a poly swimsuit.

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Poly is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

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Origin:
by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged

a combining form with the meanings “much, many” and, in chemistry, “polymeric,” used in the formation of compound words: polyandrous; polyculture; polyethylene.

Origin:
< Greek, combining form representing polýs; akin to Old English fela many. See plus

polytechnic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To poly

Collins

World English Dictionary

poly (ˈpɒlɪ)

—n , pl polys
1.	informal short for polytechnic

—*adj*
2.	informal short for polyester
3.	informal short for polythene

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

poly-

comb. form meaning "many, much," from Gk. poly-, combining form of polys "much" (plural polloi); cognate with L. plus, from PIE base *ple- (cf. Skt. purvi "much," prayah "mostly;" Avestan perena-, O.Pers. paru "much;" Gk. plethos "people, multitude, great number," pleres "full," polys "much, plenty,"

EXPAND

ploutos "wealth," plethein "be full;" Lith. pilus "full, abundant;" O.C.S. plunu; Goth. filu "much," O.N. fjöl-, O.E. fela, feola "much, many;" O.E. folgian; O.Ir. lan, Welsh llawn "full;" O.Ir. il, Welsh elu "much"), probably related to base *pele- "to spread."

COLLAPSE

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

poly- pref.

More than one; many; much: polyatomic.
More than usual; excessive; abnormal: polydipsia.
Polymer; polymeric: polyethylene.

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

Science Dictionary

poly-
A prefix meaning "many," as in polygon, a figure having many sides. In chemistry, it is used to form the names of polymers by being attached to the name of the base unit of which the polymer is made, as in polysaccharide, a polymer made of repeating simple sugars (monosaccharides).

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

Poly definition

language
1. A polymorphic, block-structured language developed by D.C.J. Matthews at Cambridge in the early 1980s.
["An Overview of the Poly Programming Language", D.C.J. Matthews, in Data Types and Persistence, M.P. Atkinson et al eds, Springer 1988].
2. A language developed at St Andrews University, Scotland.
[Software Practice & Exp, Oct 1986].
3. A polymorphic language used in the referenced book.
["Polymorphic Programming Languages", David M. Harland, Ellis Horwood 1984].
(2000-11-07)

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

poly
polyester fiber