poly

See also: Appendix:Variations of "poly"

English

Etymology 1

Shortening of various words.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɒli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒli

Noun

poly (countable and uncountable, plural polys)

1. (informal) A polytechnic.
2. Polyethylene (polythene).
3. Polyurethane.
4. (chiefly computer graphics) A polygon.

   Hyponyms: rect, tri

   • 2009, Andrew Paquette, Computer Graphics for Artists II: Environments and Characters:

     The most common poly budget in use for games at the time of this writing is between 5,000 and 10,000 tris.

5. (uncountable) Polyester.

   a cotton-poly blend

6. (chiefly informal) Polyamory.
7. (chiefly informal) A polyamorous person.
8. (chiefly informal) A polycule.

Adjective

poly (not comparable)

2. (chiefly informal) Polyamorous.

   Synonym: (informal) polyam

   Coordinate term: mono

   • 2020 August 4, Cynthia McKelvey, “The Challenges of Polyamorous Parenting”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 September 2025:

     Whether the family is poly, L.G.B.T.Q. or another minority, such as a religious one, coming out is very much a personal decision.

Derived terms

• low poly
• polycurious
• polyless
• polypile
• poly pocket
• poly sci
• poly skin
• solo poly

Verb

poly (third-person singular simple present polys, present participle polying, simple past and past participle polyed)

1. (ambitransitive, video games, roguelikes) To polymorph; to transform by magic.

Etymology 2

From Latin polium, the name of a plant, perhaps Teucrium polium.

Alternative forms

• poley

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpəʊli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊli/
• Rhymes: -əʊli

Noun

poly

1. A whitish, woolly plant (Teucrium polium) of the family Lamiaceae, found throughout the western Mediterranean.

Usage notes

• The name, with various prefixes, is sometimes given to other related species of the same genus.

Derived terms

• poly-mountain

Further reading

• “poly”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• ploy

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Adjective

poly (plural polys)

1. (slang) clipping of polytechnique
2. (slang) clipping of polyvalent

Noun

poly m or f (plural polys)

1. (slang) clipping of polytechnique; itself a clipping of institut polytechnique or école polytechnique
2. (slang) clipping of polyvalente; itself a clipping of institut polyvalent or école polyvalente