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polyandry

 - 5 dictionary results

pol⋅y⋅an⋅dry

  [pol-ee-an-dree, pol-ee-an-]
Use polyandry in a Sentence
–noun
1. the practice or condition of having more than one husband at one time. Compare monandry (def. 1).
2. (among female animals) the habit or system of having two or more mates, either simultaneously or successively.
3. Botany. the state of being polyandrous.
Origin:
1770–80; < Gk polyandría. See poly-, -andry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pol·y·an·dry   (pŏl'ē-ān'drē)   
n.  

  1. The condition or practice of having more than one husband at one time.

  2. Zoology A mating pattern in which a female mates with more than one male in a single breeding season.

  3. Botany The condition of being polyandrous.

pol'y·an'dric adj.
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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Cultural Dictionary

polyandry [(pol-ee-an-dree)]

A practice in which women have two or more husbands at the same time. A rare form of polygamy, polyandry is practiced by only a few cultures. (Compare monogamy.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

polyandry 
1780, from Late Gk. polyandria, from polys "many" (see poly-) + andr-, stem of aner "man, husband."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: poly·an·dry
Pronunciation: 'päl-E-"an-drE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -dries
: the state orpractice of having more than one husband or male mate at one time —compare POLYGAMY, POLYGYNY —poly·an·drous /"päl-E-'an-dr&s/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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