Polyphasic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Occurring in several distinct phases or cycles ; describing a pattern of sleep divided into multiple separate periods across a single day
2. Happening in more than one phase or stage ; referring to a sleep schedule made up of several short periods spread over twenty-four hours
3. Involving multiple phases in a process or cycle ; characterizing a sleep pattern split into a number of brief intervals within each day

Etymology: "Polyphasic" is a modern technical coinage, built from "poly-", from Greek "polus" meaning "many", and "phasic", which describes something that goes through phases. The Greek root behind the second part is "phasis", meaning "appearance" or "phase", a word that reached English through New Latin. The "phase" element entered English in the 19th century from New Latin "phasis", and "-ic" is the familiar adjective ending, borrowed from Latin "-icus" by way of French and Middle English. Put together, the word describes something happening in many phases, or occurring in several stages. It belongs to the same family of scientific vocabulary as "polyphonic" and "polyphase", combining classical parts to name a concept that the ancient Greeks themselves never had.

Synonyms: polyphase

Antonyms: monophasic, single-phase