英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

polyphagia (n.)[polyphagia 词源字典]: 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.[polyphagia etymology, polyphagia origin, 英语词源]
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.
polyrhythm (n.): 1911, probably a back formation from polyrhythmic.
polyrhythmic (adj.): 1883, from poly- + rhythmic.
polysemous (adj.): 1884, from Medieval Latin polysemus, from Greek polysemos "of many sides" (see polysemy).
polysemy (n.): 1900, from French polysémie (1897), from Medieval Latin polysemus, from Greek polysemos "of many senses," from poly- (see poly-) + sema "sign" (see semantic). Related: Polysemic.
polystyrene (n.): 1922, so called because it is a polymer of styrene.
polysyllabic (adj.): 1650s (implied in polysyllabical), from Medieval Latin polysyllabicus, from Greek polysyllabikos; see poly- + syllabic.
polysyllable (n.): 1560s; see poly- + syllable. As a rule, a word of more than three syllables.
polysynthesis (n.): 1837, from poly- + synthesis.
polytechnic (adj.): 1805, "pertaining to instruction in many (technical) subjects," from French École Polytechnique, engineering school founded 1794 (as École des Travaux publics) in Paris; from Greek polytekhnos "skilled in many arts," from polys "many" (see poly-) + tekhne "art" (see techno-). As a noun (short for polytechnic institution) from 1836.
polytheism (n.): 1610s, from French polythéisme (16c.), formed from Greek polytheia "polytheism," polytheos "of many gods," from polys "many" (see poly-) + theos "god" (see theo-).
polytheist (n.): 1610s; see polytheism + -ist.
polyunsaturated (adj.): 1921, from poly- + unsaturated.
polyurethane (n.): 1944, from polymer + urethane.
polyvalent (adj.): 1881, from poly- + -valent, from Latin valentem, present participle of valere "be worth" (see valiant). Coined by German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer (1825-1909), who also designed the flask that bears his name.
polyvinyl (n.): 1930, polymer of vinyl chloride. In chemistry, vinyl was used from 1863 as the name of a univalent radical derived from ethylene, from Latin vinum "wine" (see wine (n.)), because ethyl alcohol is the ordinary alcohol present in wine.