Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “poly-” come from?

poly- (English) comes from Ancient Greek πολύς, from Ancient Greek πόρος, from Ancient Greek πείρω, from Proto-Hellenic *péryō.

poly- (English): many; polymer

Definitions

  1. many; polymer

Ancestry of “poly-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekπολύςmany, a lot of; neuter πολύ or πολλά as...
2Ancient Greekπόροςa means of passage, passageway, way, opening;...
3Ancient GreekπείρωI pierce, run through; I cleave through
4Proto-Hellenic*péryō—

Words derived from “poly-”

  • polymer
  • polymerase
  • polynomial
  • polymerization
  • polymorphism
  • polyethylene
  • polypeptide
  • polymeric
  • polyester
  • polymorphic
  • copolymer
  • polystyrene
  • polygraph
  • polycystic
  • polysaccharide
  • polypropylene
  • polyurethane
  • polygamous
  • polyunsaturated
  • polyphony
  • polycrystalline
  • polyacrylamide
  • polytheistic
  • polyline
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *péryō →