polygamous
AdjectiveUS[puh-lig-uh-muhs]/pəˈlɪɡəməs/4 syllables
Open English WordNet
Adjective (2)
- having more than one mate at a time; used of relationships and individualsOpposite monogamousSimilar polyandrous, bigamous, polygynous
- having several forms of gametoecia on the same plantSynonyms: heteroicouspolyoicousOpposite dioecianSimilar monoecious, monecious
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punctiliousadjective
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Po·lyg′a·mous adjective
Origin: Gr. … living … polygamy; πολύς many + … marriage. Cf. Bigamy.
1. Of or pertaining to polygamy; characterized by, or involving, polygamy; having a plurality of wives; as, polygamous marriages; — opposed to monogamous.
2. Zoology Pairing with more than one female.
Most deer, cattle, and sheep are polygamous.— Charles Robert Darwin
3. Botany Belonging to the Polygamia; bearing both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54