What does the prefix poly- mean?

What does the prefix poly- mean?

• A. Many, Excessive
• B. After
• C. Meal
• D. Near

Answer: (A)

Poly- means many or much, coming from Greek. It flags a word as referring to multiple parts or a large amount, which is why you see it in terms like polygon (many angles) or polyglot (many languages). It also shows up in medical terms such as polyphagia (excessive eating) or polyuria (excessive urination), where the idea is an abundance that can be excessive. The other options don’t fit because they relate to time (after), a meal, or proximity (near) rather than quantity.

Poly- means many or much, coming from Greek. It flags a word as referring to multiple parts or a large amount, which is why you see it in terms like polygon (many angles) or polyglot (many languages). It also shows up in medical terms such as polyphagia (excessive eating) or polyuria (excessive urination), where the idea is an abundance that can be excessive. The other options don’t fit because they relate to time (after), a meal, or proximity (near) rather than quantity.