poly

1 of 3

noun

ˈpä-lē How to pronounce poly (audio)
plural polys ˈpä-lēz How to pronounce poly (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Light scratches in just the poly can be remedied with a 'restoring' product like Rejuvenate. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025 The essential silhouette is available in nine rich colors of the recycled velvet and five swatches of the upcycled poly. —Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025 It's made from heavy-duty poly with Rain Defender, a durable water repellent. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2025 The process starts at room temperature, with super-concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCL) to separate the poly from the cotton, enabling fiber-to-fiber recycling of both components. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poly

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of poly was in 1942

Phrases Containing poly

Rhymes for poly

See All Rhymes for poly

Browse Nearby Words

Polwarth
poly
poly-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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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 How to pronounce poly (audio)
plural polys -ēz How to pronounce poly (audio)
: a polymorphonuclear leukocyte
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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