polysyllable, n. and a.
(pɒlɪˈsɪləb(ə)l)
Also 6 polli-, poli-, -sillable.
[f. med.L. polysyllaba, fem. (sc. vox word) of polysyllabus (see polysyllabe), after syllable.]
A. n. A word of many (i.e., usually, more than three) syllables.
| 1570 Levins Manip. Pref., In the Pollisillables, by diuersitie of pronunciation,..one worde maye haue diuers significations. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii. (Arb.) 126 Our vulgar Saxon English standing most vpon wordes monosillable, and little vpon polysillables. 1755 Johnson Dict., Eng. Gram., Polysyllables..are seldom compared otherwise than by more and most, as deplorable, more deplorable, most deplorable. 1871 G. Meredith H. Richmond li, My father was losing his remarkably moderated tone, and threatening polysyllables. |
B. adj. = polysyllabic. Now rare.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii. (Arb.) 131 The ill shapen sound of many of his wordes polisillable. 1591 Harington Orl. Fur. Pref. (1634) ¶viij b, For them that find fault with polysyllable meeter. 1669 Holder Elem. Speech 101 In a Poly-syllable word. 1817 Coleridge Satyrane's Lett. iii. in Biog. Lit. (1882) 268 note, The German, not less than the Greek, is a polysyllable language. |