poly

1 of 3

noun

ˈpä-lē 

plural polys ˈpä-lēz 

often attributive

: a polymerized plastic or something made of this

especially : a polyester fiber, fabric, or garment

poly

2 of 3

adjective

informal : polyamorous

"Everybody up there's poly, you know? … You can love more than one person at a time."

—Donald Harstad

… when you're in a poly relationship, you have to have a higher baseline of communication – you have to deal with problems right away.

—Heather Nicoll

poly-

3 of 3

combining form

1

: many : several : much : multi-

polychotomous

polygyny

2

a

: containing an indefinite number more than one of a (specified) substance

polysulfide

b

: polymeric : polymer of a (specified) monomer

polyethylene

polyadenylic acid

Examples of poly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

First of all, these aren’t the swimsuits of my youth, which were uncomfortable things made from a semi-rigid poly that bordered on plastic, with no pockets and a weird mesh liner that felt like my junk was trapped in a fishing net. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 28 Aug. 2024

The hardest part of being solo poly, in Ms. Morgan’s experience, has been maintaining healthy emotional regulation and staying aware of her own needs in the midst of it all. —Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024

In interviews with people who identify as solo poly, many described facing misconceptions about their lifestyle. —Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024

Available as ornamental banners, in fans, and by the bolt, the bunting comes in traditional cotton, easy-care cotton/poly, and convenient plastic. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for polymer

Adjective

by shortening

Combining form

borrowed from Greek, combining form of polýs (feminine pollḗ, neuter polý) "large, great (in size), many, much, great (in amount or degree)," going back to Indo-European *pelh₁-u-, *pl̥h₁-u-, a u-stem quantifier meaning "much, many," whence also Germanic *felu- (< *pelh₁-u-) (whence Old English fela, feola "much, a great number, many," Old Frisian felo, fele, Old Saxon & Old High German filu "much, many, to a high degree," Old Icelandic fjǫl- "much, many" [in compounds], Gothic filu), Old Irish il "many, much" (< *pelh₁-u-), Sanskrit purú- "much, many, abundant," Avestan pouru-, Old Persian paru- (all < *pl̥h₁-u-; compare Sanskrit feminine pūrvī́- < *pl̥h₁-u̯ih₂-)

Note: The source of the o in the Greek form, which is not reflected in the other languages, has been the subject of debate. A. Sihler (New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, p. 43) points out that Cowgill's Law (turning o to u in Greek between a labial consonant and a resonant, in either order) should have resulted in *pylýs rather than polýs. G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, s.v. *felu-) accounts for the o via a paradigm *pélh₁-us (common gender nominative), *pl̥h₁-u̯-ós (genitive), *pólh₁-u- (neuter nominative), *pl̥h₁-éu̯-s (genitive). The base *pelh₁- is generally regarded as a secondary full grade form of the verbal base *pleh₁- "become full"—see full entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

1942, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1992, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing poly

• poly I:C
• poly I·poly C
• roly-poly

Kids Definition

poly-

combining form

: many : several

Etymology

Combining form

Middle English poly- "many," from Latin poly- (same meaning), derived from Greek polys "many, several, much"

Medical Definition

poly

noun

ˈpäl-ē 

plural polys -ēz 

: a polymorphonuclear leukocyte