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Webster 1913 Edition


Polysyllable

Pol′y-sylˊla-ble

,
Noun.
[
Poly-
+
syllable
.]
A word of many syllables, or consisting of more syllables than three; – words of less than four syllables being called
monosyllables
,
dissyllables
, and
trisyllables
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Polysyllable

POL'YSYLLABLE

,
Noun.
[Gr.many and a syllable.] A word of many syllables, that is, consisting of more syllables than three, for words of a less number than four are called monosyllables, dissyllables and trisyllables.

Definition 2024


polysyllable

polysyllable

English

Noun

polysyllable (plural polysyllables)

  1. A word with more than two syllables. Sometimes used in a more restricted sense.
    • 1982, Donald Hall, To Read Poetry, page 83:
      For instance, words can differ in length, and we can rhyme a monosyllable with a polysyllable, like tracks with haversacks.
    • 1992, Samuel Elmo Martin, Reference Grammar of Korean:
      In the Phyengan dialect, wuy developed into wi but at the end of a polysyllable it often dropped the -y to become wu (ibid): Tang-nakwu = Tang-nakwi 'donkey'
    • 1998, Albert Joseph, Put It In Writing, page 81:
      The third syllable of provided is ed, and therefore the verb is not a polysyllable.

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