multiply
multiply Lexical Profile
multiply Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To obtain from two numbers another number that contains the first as many times as there are units in the second; to perform the mathematical operation of multiplication.
"If you multiply seven by eight, the resulting product is fifty-six."
To increase or cause to increase greatly in number, quantity, or degree.
"Our logistical challenges began to multiply rapidly once the supply chain was disrupted."
To breed, propagate, or reproduce to increase a population (of living organisms).
"Bacteria can multiply at an alarming rate in warm, damp environments."
• adjective
Consisting of two or more layers, strands, or plies of material.
"The warehouse shipped the fragile glassware in heavy-duty multiply cardboard boxes."
• adverb
In several or many different ways, or to a multiple degree.
"In mathematics, a domain with one or more holes is described as being multiply connected."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word "multiply" is heteronymic: as a verb, it is pronounced /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/, whereas as an adverb (derived from "multiple") it is pronounced /ˈmʌltɪpli/, and as a variant of "multi-ply" it is pronounced /ˈmʌltiˌplaɪ/.
• Rhymes for multiply
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicare ("to make manifold or numerous"), derived from multiplex ("having many folds").