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Glite Dictionary
polysemous word

polysemous word

7.7
A word that has more than one meaning
  • noun
  • /ˈpɒlɪˌsiːməs wɜrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : palabra polisémica
  • The word 'bank' is a classic example of a polysemous word because it can mean the side of a river or a financial institution.

Examples

  • An example of a polysemous word is 'scale', which can refer to a system for weighing or the covering of a fish.

  • Linguists often study how context determines which meaning of a polysemous word is intended.

  • In English, many common terms are polysemous words, making the language rich but sometimes confusing.

  • The term polysemous word refers to words with multiple meanings.

  • Can you give me an example of a polysemous word?

  • In English, many common terms are polysemous words, making the language rich but sometimes confusing.

  • Linguists often study how context determines which meaning of a polysemous word is intended.

Synonyms

polysemant
vspolysemous word
  • Specialized
9.9

A word with more than one meaning

is written as a multiword phrase rather than a single-term label
polysemantic word
vspolysemous word
  • Specialized
7.7

A word that has more than one meaning

has identical meaning but uses a different adjective form in writing
polysemy
vspolysemous word
  • Specialized
8.3

One word that has two or more different meanings

refers to an individual lexical item that shows those multiple meanings

How Polysemous

polysemous word
  • Specialized
7.7
monosemy
  • Jargon
9.9

Surface Forms

polysemous word singular
polysemous words plural

Morphology

polysemous + word

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'polysemous' means 'having several meanings' and combined with 'word' yields 'a word that has multiple meanings'. This is a straightforward adjective + noun construction following normal composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The term polysemous word comes from the parts poly- meaning 'many' and -semous meaning 'meaning', so it literally says 'many meanings'. That's why we use polysemous word for a word that has more than one meaning.