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Sep 15, 2011
This week's theme
Words made with combining forms

This week's words
iridescent
heterodox
kleptocracy
polymath
necropolis

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

polymath

PRONUNCIATION:
(POL-ee-math)

MEANING:
noun: A person who is learned in many fields.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek polymathes (learned), from poly- (many) and manthanein (to learn). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mendh- (to learn) that is also the root of mathematics, chrestomathy, opsimath, and philomath. Earliest documented use: 1624.

USAGE:
"If ever there was a gifted polymath, it was Prof. Gift Siromoney. He may have been Professor of Mathematics at MCC (Madras Christian College), but his interests were from A to Z, from archaeology to zoology."
S. Muthiah; A Gifted Polymath; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Apr 10, 2011.

See more usage examples of polymath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (1452-1519)

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