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polygamy

Translation
polygamy
noun /pəˈlɪgəmi/
a) The having of a plurality of socially bonded sexual partners at the same time

Originally polygamy could work either or both ways, but civilisation generally forbids simultaneous husbands

b) Commonly used specifically for polygyny, the marriage of a man to more than one wife, or the practice of having several wives, at the same time.

The Islamic form of polygamy is a husband with up to four wives

See Also: polygamic, polygamical, polygamous, bigamy, exogamy

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  • polygamy — n. Simultaneous marriage to more than one person. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008. polygamy Having more than one wife or husband at the same ti …   Law dictionary

  • Polygamy — Po*lyg a*my, n. [Gr. ?; cf. F. polygamie.] 1. The having of a plurality of wives or husbands at the same time; usually, the marriage of a man to more than one woman, or the practice of having several wives, at the same time; opposed to monogamy;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • polygamy — noun полигамия, многобрачие Syn: bigamy, polyandry, polygyny Ant:monogamy, monogyny …   Англо-русский словарь Мюллера

  • polygamy — 1> многобрачие, полигамия …   Новый большой англо-русский словарь

  • polygamy — polygamy. См. полигамия. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Polygamy — Toba chieftain and his wives, 1892 Polygamy (from πολύς γάμος polys gamos, translated literally in Late Greek as often married )[1] is a marriage which includes more than two partners.[1] …   Wikipedia

  • polygamy — /peuh lig euh mee/, n. 1. the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, esp. wife, at one time. Cf. bigamy (def. 1), monogamy (def. 1). 2. Zool. the habit or system of mating with more than one individual, either simultaneously or… …   Universalium

  • polygamy — pɔˈlɪɡəmɪ сущ. полигамия, многобрачие Syn : bigamy, polyandry, polygyny Ant : monogamy, monogyny многобрачие, полигамия polygamy полигамия, многобрачие …   Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь

  • polygamy — noun Date: circa 1591 1. marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time compare polyandry, polygyny 2. the state of being polygamous • polygamist noun • polygamize intransitive verb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • polygamy — both sexes mating with more than one other individual …   Dictionary of ichthyology