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polymath: polymath: see mathematics
polyp: polyp: [16] A polyp is etymologically a ‘manyfooted’ creature. The word originally signified ‘octopus’, but in the 18th century was broadened out into a general term for marine invertebrates with tentacles, such as hydras and sea anemones. It comes via French polype and Latin polypus from Greek polúpous ‘cuttlefish’, a compound formed from pólus ‘much, many’ and poús ‘foot’ (source of English pew and podium and related to English foot).

The metaphorical application of the word to a tumour growing from mucous membrane (an allusion to its tentacle-like outgrowths) originated in Greek. Greek pólus (a distant relative of English full and plural) is of course the starting point of many English poly- words, all with the underlying notion of ‘several’ – among them polyglot [17] (etymologically ‘many tongues’), polygon [16], polysyllable [16], and polytechnic [19].

And its plural, polloí ‘many’, is the origin of English hoi polloi [19], literally ‘the many’.
=> foot, full, hoi polloi, pedal, plural, plus, polygon
Hippolyte: Amazon in Greek mythology, daughter of Ares, from Greek Hippolyte, fem. of Hippolytos (see Hippolytus).
Hippolytus: masc. proper name, son of Theseus in Greek mythology, from Greek Hippolytos, literally "letting horses loose," from hippos "horse" (see equine) + stem of lyein (see lose).
monopoly (n.): "exclusive control of a commodity or trade," 1530s, from Latin monopolium, from Greek monopolion "right of exclusive sale," from mono- + polein "to sell," from PIE root *pel- (5) "to sell" (cognates: Sanskrit panate "barters, purchases," Lithuanian pelnas "gain," Old Church Slavonic splenu, Russian polon "prey, booty," Old Norse falr, Dutch veil, German feil "for sale, venal").

Alternative form monopole (1540s, from the Old French form of the word) was common in 16c. The popular board game, invented by Charles Darrow, is from 1935. Monopoly money "unreal currency" is attested from 1972, in reference to the paper used in the game.
monopolylogue (n.): "entertainment in which one actor performs as many characters," 1824, from mono- + poly- + -logue.
oligopoly (n.): 1887, from Medieval Latin oligopolium, from Greek oligos "little, small," in plural, "the few" (see oligo-) + polein "to sell" (see monopoly).
poly-: word-forming element meaning "many, much, multi-, one or more," from Greek poly-, combining form of polys "much" (plural polloi); cognate with Latin plus, from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill," with derivatives referring to multitudinousness or abundance (cognates: Sanskrit purvi "much," prayah "mostly;" Avestan perena-, Old Persian paru "much;" Greek plethos "people, multitude, great number," polys "much, plenty," ploutos "wealth;" Lithuanian pilus "full, abundant;" Old Church Slavonic plunu; Gothic filu "much," Old Norse fjöl-, Old English fela, feola "much, many;" Old English folgian; Old Irish lan, Welsh llawn "full;" Old Irish il, Welsh elu "much"); probably related to root *pele- (2) "to spread."

Properly used in compounds only with words of Greek origin. In chemical names, usually indicating a compound with a large number of atoms or molecules of the same kind (such as polymer).
polyamorous (adj.): by 1972, from poly- + amorous. Related: Polyamory.
polyandria (n.): 1751 in botany; 1809 of human relationships, from poly- "many" andr-, stem of aner "man, husband" (see anthropo-) + -ia "condition of." Late Greek polyandria meant "populousness."
polyandrous (adj.): 1764, in botany, "having numerous stamens," from poly- + stem of aner "man, husband" (see anthropo-). From 1854 of humans, "having more than one husband." Greek polyandros meant "numerous" (of persons), "populous" (of places); polyanor meant "of many husbands."
polyandry (n.): 1767, nativized form of polyandria. Related: Polyandrist.
polycentric (adj.): 1826, from poly- + centric.
polychrome (adj.): "having many colors," 1816, from French polychrome, from Latinized form of Greek polykhromos "many-colored" (see poly- + chrome). As a noun from 1800. Related: Polychromic; polychromatic; polychromate.
polyclinic (n.): "place for treatment of various diseases," 1890, from poly- "many" + clinic.
polydactyl (n.): 1894, from French polydactyle (adj.) "having more fingers and toes than is usual," from Greek polydaktylos; see poly- + dactyl. As an adjective from 1874. Related: Polydactyly; polydactylism (1868).
polydipsia (n.): "excessive thirst," 1650s, from Greek polydipsios "very thirsty," from poly- (see poly-) + dipsa "thirst" + -ia "condition of."
Polydorus: Priam's youngest son (Homer), from Latin Polydorus, from Greek Polydoros "one who has received many gifts," noun use of adjective meaning "richly endowed," from polys "much, many" (see poly-) + doron "gift" (see date (n.1)).
polyester (n.): 1929, formed from polymer + ester. Polyester fiber was discovered 1941.
polyethylene (n.): polymer of ethylene, 1862, from French polyéthylène; see poly- + ethylene. Related: Polyethylenic (1860).
polygamous (adj.): 1610s, from polygamy + -ous, or else from Late Greek polygamos "often married." Related: Polygamously.
polygamy (n.): 1590s, from Late Latin polygamia, from Late Greek polygamia "polygamy," from polygamos "often married," from polys "many" + gamos "marriage" (see gamete). Not etymologically restricted to marriage of one man and multiple women (technically polygyny), but often used as if it were. Related: Polygamist.
polygenesis (n.): "plurality of origins," 1858, from poly- + -genesis "birth, origin, creation." Related: Polygenetic (1851).
polygenic (adj.): 1823, from poly- + -genic. Used in chemistry from 1873 for "forming two or more compounds" (with hydrogen or another univalent element). Related: Polygenetic.
polygenous (adj.): "composed of many kinds," 1797; see poly- + genus.
polyglot (adj.): 1650s, from Greek polyglottos "speaking many languages," literally "many-tongued," from polys "many" (see poly-) + glotta, Attic variant of glossa "language," literally "tongue" (see gloss (n.2)). As a noun from 1640s.
polygon (n.): 1570s, from Latin polygonum, from Greek polygonon, noun use of neuter of adjective polygonos "many-angled," from polys "many" (see poly-) + -gonos "angled," from gonia "angle" (see -gon). Related: Polygonal.
polygraph (n.): 1794, "mechanical device for making multiple copies of something written or drawn," from Greek polygraphos "writing much," from polys "much" (see poly-) + graphos "writing," from graphein "to write" (see -graphy).

Meaning "instrument for recording several pulsations of the body at the same time" is 1871; first used as a lie detector 1921. Related: Polygraphy (1590s); polygraphic (1771).
polygyny (n.): 1780, "condition of having many wives," from poly- "many" (see poly-) + Greek gyne "woman, wife" (see queen). Related: Polygynous.
polyhedral (adj.): 1741, from polyhedron + -al (1).
polyhedron (n.): 1560s, from Latinized form of Greek polyedron, neuter of adjective polyedros "having many bases or sides," from polys "many" (see poly-) + hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid," from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit" (see sedentary).
polyhistor (n.): "very learned person," 1580s, from Greek polyhistor "very learned," from poly "much, many" (see poly-) + histor "knowing, learned" (see history).
polymath (n.): 1620s, from Greek polymathes "having learned much, knowing much," from polys "much" (see poly-) + root of manthanein "to learn" (see mathematic).
polymer (n.): a substance built from a large number of simple molecules of the same kind, 1855, probably from German Polymere (Berzelius, 1830), from Greek polymeres "having many parts," from polys "many" (see poly-) + meros "part" (see merit (n.)).
polymerase (n.): 1866, coined by Berzelius (1830) from Greek polymeres "having many parts" (see polymer).
polymeric (adj.): 1829, from polymer + -ic.
polymerization (n.): 1866, from polymer + -ization.
polymerize (v.): 1851, from polymer + -ize. Related: Polymerized; polymerizing.
polymorph (n.): "organism of several forms," 1828, from Greek polymorphos "of many forms" (see polymorphous).
polymorphism (n.): 1839, from polymorph + -ism.
polymorphous (adj.): 1785, from Greek polymorphos "multiform, of many forms, manifold," from poly- "many" (see poly-) + morphe "shape, form" (see Morpheus). Related: Polymorphic; polymorphously; polymorphousness.
Polynesia (n.): 1758, Latinization of French polynésie, coined 1756 by French writer Charles de Brosses (1709-1777) in "Histoire des navigations aux terres australes, contenant ce que l'on sait des moeurs et des productions des contrées découvertes jusqu'à ce jour" (and first in English in a review of it), coined from Greek polys "many" (see poly-) + nesos "island" (see Chersonese). Related: Polynesian.
polynomial: 1670s (n.), 1704 (adj.), irregularly formed from poly- + stem of binomial.
polyp (n.): c. 1400, "nasal tumor," from Middle French polype and directly from Latin polypus "cuttlefish," also "nasal tumor," from Greek (Doric, Aeolic) polypos "octopus, cuttlefish," from polys "many" (see poly-) + pous "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)). Etymological sense revived 1742 as a name for hydras and sea anemones (earlier polypus, early 16c.). The Latin word is the source of French poulpe "octopus."
polypeptide (n.): peptide built from a large number of amino acids, 1903, from German polypeptid; see poly- + peptide.
polyphagia (n.): 1690s, "eating to excess," medical Latin, from Greek polyphagia "excess in eating," from polyphagos "eating to excess," from polys "much" (see poly-) + phagein "to eat" (see -phagous). Attested from 1890 in sense "feeding on various kinds of food." Nativized as polyphagy. Related: Polyphagic; polyphagous.
Polyphemus: name of a Cyclops ("Odyssey," IX), also used as the name for a one-eyed animal; the name is literally "many-voiced" or else "much-spoken-of" (see poly- + fame (n.)).
polyphonic (adj.): 1782, formed in English from Greek polyphonos (see polyphony).
polyphony (n.): 1828, "multiplicity of sounds," from Greek polyphonia "variety of sounds," from polyphonos "having many sounds or voices," from polys "many" (see poly-) + phone "voice, sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say" (see fame (n.)). The meaning "counterpoint" (1864) is perhaps a back-formation from the adjective.
polyploidy (n.): 1922, from German polyploidie (1910), from polyploid, from Greek poly- (see poly-) + -ploid, from comb. form of ploos "fold" (see fold (v.)) + -oid.