po·lyg·a·my

(pə-lĭg′ə-mē)

1. The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time.

2. Zoology A mating pattern in which a single individual mates with more than one individual of the opposite sex.

[French polygamie, from Late Latin polygamia, from Greek polugamiā : polu-, poly- + -gamiā, -gamy.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

polygamy

(pəˈlɪɡəmɪ)

1. (Anthropology & Ethnology) the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. Compare polyandry, polygyny

2. (Botany)

a. the condition of having male, female, and hermaphrodite flowers on the same plant

b. the condition of having these different types of flower on separate plants of the same species

3. (Zoology) the practice in male animals of having more than one mate during one breeding season

[C16: via French from Greek polugamia from poly- + -gamy]

poˈlygamist n

poˈlygamous, polyˈgamic adj

poˈlygamously adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

po•lyg•a•my

(pəˈlɪg ə mi)

n.

the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, esp. a wife, at one time.

po•lyg′a•mist, n.

polygamy

the condition of having more than two spouses simultaneously. — polygamist, n. — polygamous, adj.

polygamy

Marriage to more than one person at the same time. The most common form of polygamy is polygyny, where a man has several wives. A less common form is polyandry, where a woman has several husbands.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

polygamy - having more than one spouse at a time

marriage, matrimony, spousal relationship, wedlock, union - the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce); "a long and happy marriage"; "God bless this union"

polyandry - having more than one husband at a time

polygyny - having more than one wife at a time

Translations

mnohoženstvípolygamie

Polygamie

πολυγαμία

moniavioisuuspolygamia

polygamie

poligamija

poligámiatöbbnejűség

poligami

poligamia poligamico poligamo

多婚性

polygamie

poligamia

polygamy

[pɒˈlɪgəmɪ] N → poligamia f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

polygamy

[pəˈlɪgəmi] n → polygamie f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

polygamy

n → Polygamie f, → Vielehe f, → Vielweiberei f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

polygamy

[pɒˈlɪgəmɪ] n → poligamia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

polygamy

n. poligamia, práctica de poseer más de un cónyuge a la vez.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

He knew nothing of Mormonism except the custom of polygamy, which is its foundation.

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- Their Contempt of Beards- Ornaments- Armor and Weapons.-Mode of Flattening the Head.- Extent of the Custom.- Religious Belief.- The Two Great Spirits of the Air and of the Fire.- Priests or Medicine Men.- The Rival Idols.- Polygamy a Cause of Greatness- Petty Warfare.- Music, Dancing, Gambling.- Thieving a Virtue.- Keen Traders- Intrusive Habits - Abhorrence of Drunkenness- Anecdote of Comcomly.

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No one can appreciate the peace, the holy satisfaction of monogamy till he has passed through the wasting distractions, the unrest of polygamy. Plunged right away into monogamy, man, unexperienced in his good fortune, hankers after polygamy, as the monotheistic Jew hankered after polytheism; and thus the monogamic young man too often meets Aphrodite for the first time, and makes future appointments with her, in the arms of his pure young wife.

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Polygamy, which once prevailed among them to a great extent, was now rarely indulged.

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The supply of adult women was running short, and polygamy without a female population on which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed.

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* At that time polygamy was still practised in Turkey.

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Smuggling is not, like polygamy, a hanging offense.

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His religious beliefs had become what would at present be called Unitarian, and he did not associate with any of the existing denominations; in private theory he had even come to believe in polygamy. At home he is said to have suffered from the coldness or more active antipathy of his three daughters, which is no great cause for wonder if we must credit the report that he compelled them to read aloud to him in foreign languages of which he had taught them the pronunciation but not the meaning.

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A regular system of polygamy exists among the islanders; but of a most extraordinary nature,--a plurality of husbands, instead of wives!

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She could have informed you that there was such a word as "polygamy," and being also acquainted with "polysyllable," she had deduced the conclusion that "poly" mean "many"; but she had had no idea that gypsies were not well supplied with groceries, and her thoughts generally were the oddest mixture of clear-eyed acumen and blind dreams.

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And must be unless you had polygamy, only the other way round; you understand." He laughed like an idiot, while I made for the door.

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A Mormon reads his Bible, and finds polygamy; a Christian Scientist reads his, and finds we have no arms and legs.

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