Polyphagy Po·lyph""a·gy noun The practice or faculty of subsisting on many kinds of food.
Polypharmacy Pol`y·phar"ma·cy noun [
Poly- + Greek ... the using of medicine, from ... medicine: confer French
polypharmacie .]
(Medicine) (a) The act or practice of prescribing too many medicines. (b) A prescription made up of many medicines or ingredients. Dunglison.
Polyphase Pol"y·phase adjective [
Poly- +
phase .]
(Electricity) Having or producing two or more phases; multiphase; as, a polyphase machine, a machine producing two or more pressure waves of electro-motive force, differing in phase; a polyphase current.
Polyphaser Pol"y·phas`er noun (Electricity) A machine generating more than one pressure wave; a multiphaser.
Polyphemus Pol`y·phe"mus noun [ Latin
Polyphemus the one-eyed Cyclops who was blinded by Ulysses.]
(Zoology) A very large American moth ( Telea polyphemus ) belonging to the Silkworm family ( Bombycidæ ). Its larva, which is very large, bright green, with silvery tubercles, and with oblique white stripes on the sides, feeds on the oak, chestnut, willow, cherry, apple, and other trees. It produces a large amount of strong silk. Called also American silkworm .
Polyphone Pol"y·phone noun A character or vocal sign representing more than one sound, as read , which is pronounced rēd or rĕd .
Polyphonic Pol`y·phon"ic adjective [ Greek ...;
poly`s many + ... sound: confer French
polyphone .]
1. Having a multiplicity of sounds. 2. Characterized by polyphony; as, Assyrian polyphonic characters. 3. (Mus.) Consisting of several tone series, or melodic parts, progressing simultaneously according to the laws of counterpoint; contrapuntal; as, a polyphonic composition; -- opposed to homophonic , or monodic .
Polyphonism Po·lyph"o·nism noun Polyphony.
Polyphonist Po·lyph"o·nist noun 1. A proficient in the art of multiplying sounds; a ventriloquist. 2. (Mus.) A master of polyphony; a contrapuntist.
Polyphonous Po·lyph"o·nous adjective Same as Polyphonic .
Polyphony Po·lyph"o·ny noun [ Greek ....]
1. Multiplicity of sounds, as in the reverberations of an echo. 2. Plurality of sounds and articulations expressed by the same vocal sign. 3. (Mus.) Composition in mutually related, equally important parts which share the melody among them; contrapuntal composition; -- opposed to homophony , in which the melody is given to one part only, the others filling out the harmony. See Counterpoint .
Polyphore Pol"y·phore noun [
Poly- + Greek ... to bear.]
(Botany) A receptacle which bears many ovaries.
Polyphotal, Polyphote Pol`y·pho"tal, Pol"y·phote adjective [
Poly- + Greek ..., ..., light.]
(Electricity) Pertaining to or designating arc lamps so constructed that more than one can be used on a single circuit.
Polyphyletic Pol`y·phy·let"ic adjective [
Poly- + Greek ... clan.]
(Biol.) Pertaining to, or characterized by, descent from more than one root form, or from many different root forms; polygenetic; -- opposed to monophyletic .
Polyphyllous Po·lyph"yl·lous adjective [ Greek ...;
poly`s many + ... leaf.]
(Botany) Many-leaved; as, a polyphyllous calyx or perianth.
Polypi Pol"y·pi noun plural [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) The Anthozoa.
Polypide Pol"y·pide noun (Zoology) One of the ordinary zooids of the Bryozoa. [ Spellt also
polypid .]
Polypidom Po·lyp"i·dom noun [
Polypus + Latin
domus house.]
(Zoology) A coral, or corallum; also, one of the coral-like structure made by bryozoans and hydroids.
Polypier Po`ly`pier" noun [ French]
A polypidom.
Polypifera Pol`y·pif"e·ra noun plural [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) The Anthozoa.
Polypiferous Pol·y·pif"er·ous adjective [
Polypus +
-ferous .]
(Zoology) Bearing polyps, or polypites.
Polypiparous Pol`y·pip"a·rous adjective [
Polypus + Latin
parere to produce.]
(Zoology) Producing polyps.
Polypite Pol"y·pite noun 1. (Zoology) (a) One of the feeding zooids, or polyps, of a coral, hydroid, or siphonophore; a hydranth. See Illust. of Campanularian . (b) Sometimes, the manubrium of a hydroid medusa. 2. (Paleon.) A fossil coral.
Polyplacophora Pol`y·pla·coph"o·ra noun plural [ New Latin See
Poly- , and
Placophora .]
(Zoology) See Placophora .
Polyplastic Pol`y·plas"tic adjective [
Poly- +
-plastic .]
(Biol.) Assuming, or having the power of assuming, many forms; as, a polyplastic element which does not preserve its original shape.
Polypode Pol`y·pode noun [ Confer French
polypode . See
Polypody .]
(Botany) A plant of the genus Polypodium ; polypody. [ Written also
polypod .]
Polypode Pol"y·pode noun [ Greek ..., ..., the wood louse, milleped: confer French
polypode . See
Polyp .]
(Zoology) An animal having many feet; a myriapod.
Polypodium Pol"y·po`di·um noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., dim. of .... See
Polyp , and confer 2d
Polypode .]
(Botany) A genus of plants of the order Filices or ferns. The fructifications are in uncovered roundish points, called sori , scattered over the inferior surface of the frond or leaf. There are numerous species.
Polypody Pol"y·po`dy noun (Botany) Any plant of the genus Polypodium .
Polypoid Pol"y·poid adjective [
Polyp +
- oid .]
1. (Zoology) Like a polyp; having the nature of a polyp, but lacking the tentacles or other parts. 2. (Medicine) Resembling a polypus in appearance; having a character like that of a polypus.
Polypomedusæ Pol`y·po·me·du"sæ noun plural [ New Latin See
Polyp , and
Medusa .]
(Zoology) Same as Hydrozoa .
Polyporous Po·lyp"o·rous adjective [
Poly- +
porous .]
Having many pores. Wright.
Polyporus Po·lyp"o·rus noun ;
plural Polypori . [ New Latin , from Greek
poly`s many + ... a pore.]
(Botany) A genus of fungi having the under surface full of minute pores; also, any fungus of this genus. »
Polyporus fomentarius was formerly dried and cut in slices for tinder, called
amadou .
P. betulinus is common in America, and forms very large thick white semicircular excrescences on birch trees. Several species of
Polyporous are considered edible.
Polypous Pol"y·pous adjective [ Confer French
polypeux . See
Polyp .]
Of the nature of a polypus; having many feet or roots, like the polypus; affected with polypus.
Polypragmatic, Polypragmatical Pol`y·prag·mat"ic, Pol`y·prag·mat"ic·al adjective [
Poly- +
pragmatic ,
- ical .]
Overbusy; officious. [ R.]
Heywood.
Polypragmaty Pol`y·prag"ma·ty noun [
Poly- + Greek ... business.]
The state of being overbusy. [ R.]
Polyprotodonta Pol`y·pro`to·don"ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek
poly`s many + ... first + ..., ..., tooth.]
(Zoology) A division of marsupials in which there are more fore incisor teeth in each jaw.
Polypteroidei Po·lyp`te·roi"de·i noun plural [ New Latin See
Polypterus , and
-oid .]
(Zoology) A suborder of existing ganoid fishes having numerous fins along the back. The bichir, or Polypterus, is the type. See Illust. under Crossopterygian .
Polypterus Po·lyp`te·rus noun [ New Latin , from Greek
poly`s many + ... feather, wing.]
(Zoology) An African genus of ganoid fishes including the bichir.
Polyptoton Pol`yp·to"ton noun [ Latin , from Greek ... having, or being in, many cases;
poly`s many + ... case.]
(Rhet.) A figure by which a word is repeated in different forms, cases, numbers, genders, etc., as in Tennyson's line, -- "My own heart's heart, and ownest own, farewell."
Polypus Pol"y·pus noun ;
plural English
Polypuses , Latin
Polypi . [ Latin See
Polyp .]
1. (Zoology) Same as Polyp . 2. (Medicine) A tumor, usually with a narrow base, somewhat resembling a pear, -- found in the nose, uterus, etc., and produced by hypertrophy of some portion of the mucous membrane.
Polyrhizous Pol`y·rhi"zous adjective [ Greek ...;
poly`s many + ... root.]
(Botany) Having numerous roots, or rootlets.
Polyschematist Pol`y·sche"ma·tist adjective [
Poly- + Greek ... form, manner.]
Having, or existing in, many different forms or fashions; multiform.
Polyscope Pol"y·scope noun [ Greek ... farseeing;
poly`s much, many + ... to view: confer French
polyscope .]
1. (Opt.) A glass which makes a single object appear as many; a multiplying glass. Hutton. 2. (Medicine) An apparatus for affording a view of the different cavities of the body.
Polysepalous Pol`y·sep"al·ous adjective [
Poly- +
sepal .]
(Botany) Having the sepals separate from each other.
Polysilicic Pol`y·si·lic"ic adjective [
Poly- +
silicic .]
(Chemistry) Of or pertaining to compounds formed by the condensation of two or more molecules of silicic acid. Polysilicic acid (Chemistry) ,
any one of a series of acids formed by the condensation of two or more molecules of silicic acid, with elimination of water.
Polyspast Pol"y·spast noun [ Latin
polyspaston , from Greek ..., from ... drawn by several cords;
poly`s many + ... to draw: confer French
polyspaste .]
(Surg.) A machine consisting of many pulleys; specifically, an apparatus formerly used for reducing luxations.
Polyspermous Pol`y·sper"mous adjective [ Greek ...;
poly`s many + ... seed.]
(Botany) Containing many seeds; as, a polyspermous capsule or berry. Martyn.
Polyspermy Pol"y·sper`my noun (Biol.) Fullness of sperm, or seed; the passage of more than one spermatozoön into the vitellus in the impregnation of the ovum.
Polysporous Pol`y·spor"ous adjective [
Poly- +
spore .]
(Botany) Containing many spores.
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