Multi

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by having or involving numerous components or factors
2. Pertaining to diverse aspects or a variety of forms within a given context
3. Referring to a situation or entity that incorporates various elements or dimensions that may differ from one another

Etymology: "Multi" is a clipped form, cut down from longer words rather than built up from a root of its own. One source is "multistan", a shortened form of "multistan" as in a multiple-unit term; another is "multituberculate", the name of an extinct group of small mammals whose teeth bear many cusps. Its most colloquial use is "multi two diamonds", a bridge bidding shorthand in card games, where the bid signals a hand with many points of a specific suit. Because the clipped forms are the direct source, the word's meaning stays close to its roots: it simply points to something with multiple parts. The source also lists "multifasciatus", a Latin-derived scientific label meaning "many-banded," which shows how the same prefix idea ("multi-", meaning many) carried through technical naming.

Synonyms: multiple, varied, diverse

Antonyms: single, one