Polyergus 
Polyergus (pol-i-tVgus), n. [NL. (Latreille, 
IsOl!), < Or. ira&i'tpirof, much-working, < iro/.rf, 
much, + ipyov, work.] A genus of Formici- 
<!;i . having the mandibles almost cylindrical, 
curved, very narrow, and acute at the tip, ocelli 
present, and the wings of the female with only 
one discoidal cell ; the Amazon-ants. Two species 
are found in the United States, but most are tropical or 
subtropical. P. ru/esceni Is a slave making ant which 
has lost the building instinct and shows no care for Its 
young, and In which the mandibles have lost their teeth 
all as a result of their entire dependence upon slaves. 
polyesthesia, . See polyiesthesia. 
polyesthesis (pol'i-es-the'sis), n. Same as 
polysest/iesia. 
polyesthetic, polyaesthetic (pol'i-es-thet'ik), 
a. [< polysestlifxia (-Ilirt-) + -ic (cf. esthetic).] 
Of or pertaining to polyeesthesia. 
polyethnic (pol-i-eth nik), a. [< Gr. mMi>f, 
many, + eBvof, a nation, people.] Inhabited by 
or containing many races or nationalities. 
are small herbs or sometimes shrubby plants, usually 
with alternate leaves, and terminal spikes of small or 
showy flowers of red, yellow, green, white, and other col- 
on. Several cultivated purple-flowered species from the 
Cape of Good Hope are evergreen shrubs reaching 9 feet in 
height. P. lutta of the southern United States Is known 
locally as bachelor's buttons. P. pauc\folia t another hand- 
some species, Is the fringed polygala or flowering winter- 
green of the United states ; this and /'. polygama of the 
Atlantic States are remarkable for their two kinds of 
flowers, having crimson or purple open flowers above 
ground, and also abundant white or green uncxpanding 
but fertile subterranean flowers on slender white bran- 
ches. The root of P. Senega is a stimulating cxpecto 
rant and diuretic, and in large doses cathartic and emetic. 
It is called senega In medicine. (See senega-root. ) P. the 
siaiiies is the chinchin of Chill, a powerful diuretic, and P. 
venenosa, the katn-tu turn of Java, Is poisonous to the touch. 
Many species are claimed as remedies against snake bites, 
as P. sangvinea and P. purpurea, common reddish-flow- 
ered plants of the United States, and others In the West 
Indies, Cape Colony, and the Himalayas. For P. mdgaris, 
also sometimes called procession-flower or passion-flower, 
see milkwort, cross-flower, gang-flower, and rogation-flower. 
2. [1. c.] A plant of this genus. 
Polygalaceae (pol'i-ga-la'se-e), n. pi. [NL. 
Same as 
polygenous 
According to the tendency to become cither mono-clous or 
dioecious, they are called moturcunuly or diaeciausly polyg- 
aintna respectively. In the case of mosses having both 
barren and fertile Inflorescences (flowers) variously dis- 
posed on the same plant, polygamous is also used for 
polyyamian. 
polyfoil (pol'i-foil), n. and a. [< Gr. , . 
many, + E./oi/i. Cf. multifoil and polyphyl- (Lmdley, 1835), < Polygala 4- -aces-.] 
Ions.] I, . In arch., an opening or ornament Polygaleee. 
consisting of several combined foliations; ape- polygalaceous (pol'i-ga-la'shius), a. [< Poly- 
cifically, a combination of more than five foils ; gafacete + -ons.] Of or pertaining to the I'oly- 
a multifoil. t/aleee. 
II. a. Consisting or composed of, or deco- folyealeae (pol-i-ga'le-e), n.pl. [NL. ( Jussieu, 
. ..^^.. 1809), < Polygala + '-de.] An order of poly- 
petalous plants, unlike the others in the cohort 
1'olygalintf in its irregular flowers, and char- 
(po-lig'a-mi) . {Formerly polyga- 
mte > poligamy, < F. polujanne, now polygamif, 
= Sp. poligamia = Pg. polygamia = It. poliga- 
mia, < LGr. irohvyafua, polygamy, < voMiya/tof, 
polygamous: see polygamous.'] 1. Marriage 
with more than one spouse; the having of n 
plurality of wives or husbands at the same 
time. In Christian countries, when a man has more 
wives than one, or a woman more husbands than one, 
at the same time, he or she is punishable for polyg- 
amy ; but If there was a separate marriage with each 
the flrst marriage would be valid notwithstanding the 
subsequent ones, and the later ones would be void. The 
offense of contracting the subsequent marriage is now 
termed bitjamy. But polygamy In the form of polygyny Is 
allowed in some countries, especially among Mohamme- 
dans, and is held a matter of faith and duty by the Mor- 
mons. Compare polyandry. 
2. In :ool., the practice or habit of having more 
than one mate of the opposite sex; polyandry 
or polygyny. In mammals, polygamy is the rule with 
pinniped and various other carnivorous quadrupeds, with 
the hoofed quadrupeds in general, and In many other 
groups, especially In its polygynons form. In the class 
of birds, where monogamy Is the rule, polygamy is con- 
spicuous In the rasorial or gallinaceous order, and Is ex- 
ceptionally witnessed in some members of the monoga- 
mous orders, as in the cowbirds and cuckoos among passe- 
rine and plcarian birds. 
acterized by its three or five petals, usually polygar (pol'i-gar), n. See poligar. 
eight monadelphous stamens, straight embryo polygarchy (pol'i-gar-ki), . [jLv.poliqarchie 
in fleshy albumen and five sepals, of which (C^ve) = Sp.p%ligarquia = -pg.polygarchia; 
the two inner are larger, wing-like, and peta- an erroneous form (appar. simulating ofa/ar- 
5.j^s^jr^^s! r ** etc -> f r *'r i* : r >jHrfjww * y - ] " A " 
often shows in its keeled flowers a superficial resemblance "roneous form Of polyarchy. 
to the Leffuminosje or bean family. It includes about 470 polygastrian (pol-1-gas tri-an), o. and w. [< 
species, widely dispersed throughout temperate and warm polygastria + -an.] Same as polygastric 
climates, belonging to 15 genera, of which Polygala is the rjolveactrio Cnol-i e-as'trik'* and K Or 
type. They are herbs or undershrnbs, rarely becoming P 01 yS astrl( K )> \ a ?? " L< Of. 
small trees, erect or sometimes twining or climbing, with '""''*> many, + yaarrip (}aarp-), stomach.] I. 
usually entire alternate leaves, and solitary, spiked, or " Havingorappearingtohavemanystomachs. 
racemed flowers. as an animalcule; specifically, of or pertaining 
Polygalmae (pol'i-ga-li'ne), n. pi. [NL. (Ben- to the Polygastrica. 
tham and Hooker, 1862), < Polygala + -inie.] n. w. A polygastric animalcule. 
A cohort of polypelalous plants of the series Polygastrica (pol-i-gas'tri-ka), n. pi. [NL.: 
Tkalamiflorx, characterized by an ovary of two me polygastric.'] Ehrenberg's'name (1830) of 
Polyfoil Window. Hereford Cathedral, England ; igth century. 
rated with, more than five foils or foliations : 
as, & polyfoil arch Polyfoil arch an arch the head 
of which is divided into a number of foils or foliations. 
cells or carpels, many horizontal ovules or a 
single pendulous one, fleshy albumen, and ab- 
sence of stipules. It includes 8 orders, of which the 
Piltoitpontm and Trfmandra families are small groups of 
Australian shrubs, while the I'olyyala family (the type) is 
of nearly universal distribution. 
those animalcules the appearance of whose 
movable food-vacuoles led nim to suppose they 
had many proper digestive cavities orstomaclis. 
The term had special application to dilate infusorians, 
of which it is now a disused synonym, and less exactly of 
, Infusoria at large, 
polygaline (po-lig a-lm) . [= J . polygaline ; polygastrulation (pol-i-gas-trij-la'shon) 
as Folygala + -iA] A substance obtained F [<lf r . .>;,- many, E. gastn.hition.] "Mi 
from Polygala Senega, apparently identical pie gastrulation 
with sapomn. Also called polygalic acid and polygenesls (poi-i-jen'e-sis), ... [< Gr. f . 
many, + -)eveaif, origin: see genesis.] In Wo/., 
If. 
Multi- 
sencgin. 
polygam (pol'i-gam), n. [< Polygam-ia.] A 
plant of the Linnean class Polygamia. 
Polygamia (pol-i-ga'mi-a), n. pi. [NL., < Gr. 
To/r)a//of, polygamous: see polygamous.] In 
the Linnean system of classification, a class of 
generation or origination from several separate 
and independent germs; the doctrine that or- 
ganisms took rise from cells or embryos of dif- 
ferent kinds. It is akin, as a biological theory, to the 
8 i^innean system ot classification, a class of notion of special creations, and in its application to man 
plants bearing both hermaphrodite flowers and is commonly called polygeny. 
those with the sexes separated, the different polygenetic(pol"i-je-net'ik), a. [< polygenesix, 
flowers being scattered either on the same 
plant or on two or three distinct individuals, 
polygamian (pol-i-ga'mi-an), a. [< Polygamia 
+ -an.] BelongingorrelatingtothePo7wjrn;j; 
producing hermaphrodite flowers, and alsomale 
or female flowers, or both, 
polygamist (po-lig'a-mist), n. [= Pg. polyga- 
mistn; as polygam-y + -itit.] A person who 
after genetic.] 1. formed by several different 
causes, in several different ways, or of several 
different parts. 
A composite or polygenetic range or chain, made up of 
two or more monogenetic ranges combined. 
Amer. Jour. Set., 3d ser., V. 429. 
2. Pertaining to or characterized by polygen- 
esis. 
practises polygamy, or who maintains its pro- polygenic (pol-i-jen'ik), a. [< jMilyi/eii-ous + 
pnety. -if.] Same tts polygenous, 1. fallowx. 
polygamize (po-lig'a-miz), v. i. ; pret. and pp. polygenism (po-lij'e-nizm), . [< polygen-onx 
l>lygamteed, ppr. polygamizing. [< polygam-y + -ism.] Same &s polygeny. 
To practise polyg^m^ Sylvester, tr. polygenist (po-lij'e-nist), n. and a. [< poly- 
!/rn-oua + -ist.] I. n. An adherent of or be- 
M)r*)ll Arch.-M.in Port.l of Uchfield Cathedral. England. 
Such arches occur especially In medieval architecture later 
than the time of highest perfection. 
Polygala(po-lig'a-lft),. |;NL. (Malpighi, 1675), 
< L. potyi/iilti, < tiir. iroXrya/ov, railkwort, < ->'/ , ,. 
much, + ',11/11, milk.] 1. A genus of herba- 
ceous plants, the milkworts, type of the order 
Polygalete, characterized by the great enlarge- 
ment of the two petaloid inner sepals of its ir- 
of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The "Handy-Crafts. 
polygamodioecious (po-lig'a-mo-di-e'shus), a. 
[< LGr. 7ro/.(';n/)f, polygamous, + NL. diaciun, 
direcious.] Same as diteciously polygamous. 
See polygamous, 3. 
polygamous (po-lig'a-mus), a. [= F. polygamc 
= Sp. poligamo = Pg. polygamo = It.poligamo, 
polygamous, a polygamist; < LGr. iro^i-ya/wf, 
often-married, polygamous, < Gr. m>At'f, many, 
+ j-d/joc, marriage.] 1. Relating to or charac- 
terized by polygamy: as, polygamous marriage 
(a union including more than one spouse of 
either sex, sanctioned in respect to plurality 
of wives by the law of some countries, but not 
recognized as marriage by the law of Christian 
giilar calyx, and by its eight anthers, its two- !*5j!Si~", 9 ' In ,-""'-' '""'"'Rwith more than one 
illed compressed roundish capsule, and its """vidual of the opposite sex ; polyandrous or 
n-. small petals united into a tube, and often l><>'yKy<)us, especially the latter, which is more 
06 
three 
augmented by a lobed crest at the top. There 
are about 280 species, natives of temperate and warm 
regions, widely prevalent except In Australia. Tli.-y 
polygynous, 
freijiient among aniniiils than tlie former. 3. 
In lint.. lieHi-jnjr I,,,)), unisexual and bisexual or 
hermaphroditic flowers in the same species. 
liever in polygeny ; a special-creationist ; par- 
ticularly, one who advocates the view that the 
human race consists of several distinct /on- 
logical races or species. 
The granting of the 1'olygenitt premises does not, In the 
slightest degree, necessitate the rnlygenwt conclusion. 
Huxley, Critiques and Addresses, p. IBS. 
II. a. Same as pulygcii<ni.*. 
polygenistic (pol'i-je-nis'tik), a. [< pHlyyenist 
+ -ic.] Having independent origins, as the 
race-, i if ma 1 1 <T the domestic animals; of or per- 
taining to polytrenv. 
polygenous (po-lij'e-nus), n. [< LGr. jro?.i7-n%, 
of many kimls or families, < Gr. jroWfi many, 
+ }Vof, kind: sect/mirx, -i/i-nmix.] 1. Contaiii- 
ing or consisting of many iliffprent sorts or 
kinds of things; heterogeneous: composite: 
as, a piilygi-HiitiK mountain (one made up of dif- 
ferent strata <>f rocks). 2. Of w pertaining to 
polygeny. 
