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Glite Dictionary
🐉 Many-headed 👥 Many leaders 🍄 Many heads (plants)
polycephalous

polycephalous

9.9
An animal or creature from myths that has more than one head
  • adjective
  • /ˌpɒlɪˈsɛfələs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : policefálico
  • Scientists discovered a rare polycephalous turtle with two functioning heads.

Examples

  • The ancient myth told of a polycephalous serpent that terrorized the villagers.

  • In the painting, a polycephalous creature stands guard at the entrance to the underworld.

  • The polycephalous creature was a sight to behold!

  • A polycephalous organism can exhibit unique behaviors.

  • The ancient myth told of a polycephalous serpent that terrorized the villagers.

  • Scientists discovered a rare polycephalous turtle with two functioning heads.

  • In the painting, a polycephalous creature stands guard at the entrance to the underworld.

Synonyms

bicephalous
vspolycephalous
  • Specialized
9.9

Having two heads on the same body

is applied to creatures with more than two heads
bicephalic
vspolycephalous
  • Specialized
9.9

Having two heads or two parts that look like heads

is broader and covers creatures with more than one head

How Headed

polycephalous
  • Specialized
9.9
bicephalous
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

polycephalous positive

Morphology

polycephalous = cephalous (semi-transparent) = poly + cephal + ous

The word is built from the combining form 'cephal-' plus 'poly-', but the learned scientific element makes it less immediately obvious for an average learner.

Etymology

Polycephalous comes from the Greek parts poly- 'many' and kephalē 'head'. So a polycephalous creature literally has 'many heads', which makes the word perfect for animals or myth monsters with more than one head.