pol·y·se·mous (p l  -s m s)adj. Having or characterized by many meanings: highly polysemous words such as play and table. [From Late Latin polys mus, from Greek polusmos : polu-, poly- + sma, sign.]pol y·semy (pl-sm, p-l s-) n. |
polysemy [ˌpɒlɪˈsiːmɪ pəˈlɪsəmɪ]
n
(Linguistics) the existence of several meanings in a single word Compare monosemy
[from New Latin polysēmia, from Greek polusēmos having many meanings, from poly- + sēma a sign]
polysemous adj
polysemy
a diversity of meanings for a given word.
See also: Language
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | polysemy - the ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used (in different contexts) to express two or more different meanings equivocalness, ambiguity - unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning monosemy - having a single meaning (absence of ambiguity) usually of individual words or phrases |
Translations
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