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poly-
(POL-ee)many
Greek for many. A polygon has many sides; polyglot means many languages.
prefixGreek
Number & quantityExample words
polygon
a shape with many sides
polyglot
a person who speaks many languages
polygraph
a machine that records many signals (a lie detector)
Common Core alignment
Grades served: 7, 8
- L.7.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
- L.8.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
Related roots
Number & quantity. Roots that count, measure, and tell you how many.
Browse all number & quantity roots →L.7.4bL.8.4b