Vocabulary List #19

-poly-(Greek root)

comes from polys, meaning “many”

1. polychromatic

Example: In the zoo, the peacock displayed her polychromatic feathers in order to show off for the other, less colorful animals.

Part of speech

adjective

Definition:showing a variety or a change of colors; multicolored.

2. polytheism

Example: I recently became interested in polytheism after visiting an African tribe and learning about how to honor the rain gods.

Part of speechnoun

Definition:the belief in more than one god or in many gods.

3. polyglot

Example: My sister, the polyglot, is fluent in Spanish, French, and German.

Part of speechnoun

Definition:a person who speaks, writes, or reads a number of languages

4. polygraphExample: Jerry Springer is well known for promoting the

use of a polygraph machine in order to determine the truthfulness of his guests’ testimonies.

Part of speechnoun

Definition:an instrument used for testing to determine if a person is telling the truth by receiving and recording simultaneously tracings of variations in certain body activities

5. polynomial

Example: In math, a polynomial expression might be ax2 + bx + c because it consists of the sum of two or more terms.

Part of speechnoun

Definition:consisting of or characterized by two or more names or terms

Academic Vocabulary #19

1. synthesize

Example: You need to synthesize multiple sources into your research paper.

Part of speechverb

Definition:to combine different ideas, influences, or objects into a new whole, or be combined in this way

2. consistent

Example: Young children need a daily routine that is consistent; irregularity in their routine can cause behavioral problems.

Part of speechadjective

Definition: reliable—able to maintain a particular

standard and free of contradiction