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poly

4.1

A word part meaning many used to form compound words

particle
/ˈpɑːli/

: poli-

The word poly is commonly seen in words like polytheism, which refers to the belief in many gods.

Any of those triads can be combined to create Poly chords.

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Examples

In biology, the prefix poly is used in terms such as polyunsaturated, indicating many unsaturated bonds.
You probably know the prefix Poly from polymer.
The term poly is often included in scientific language, such as in the word polyphonic, meaning having many sounds.

Synonyms

poly-

vspoly

4.1

A word part meaning many used at the start of words

is identical in meaning but written without a hyphen

multi-

vspoly

Specialized

3.3

Goes before a word to mean more than one

is used to make compound words rather than focus on parts

Compounds

grass poly

9.9

A small plant that lives for one year and grows in wet places with tiny pink flowers

roly-poly pudding

8.2

A rolled sweet pudding made from suet pastry filled with jam, often steamed or baked

roly-poly

9.4

A British pudding made from rich pastry rolled with jam and steamed or baked

roly-poly

7.0

A toy with a rounded base that returns upright when pushed

poly-

4.1

A word part meaning many used at the start of words

Surface Forms

poly main

Etymology

Poly is a prefix from Greek meaning 'many', and you can see it in words like polygon ('many sides') and polyglot ('many languages'). So, when you see poly at the start of a word, it usually means 'many' or 'more than one'.