was wotd|2006|April|26
English
Etymology
Late L. #Latin|plethora (earlier pletura) < AGr. polytonic|�ληθ��η (pl�th�r�) "fullness", from polytonic|�λήθ� (pl�th�) "I fill".
Pronunciation
audio|en-us-plethora.ogg|Audio (US)
IPA|/'pl�θ�r�/
Noun
en-noun
- An excessive amount or number; an abundance (+ of).
#:The menu offers a plethora of cuisines from around the world.
- context|medicine|archaic an excess of red blood cells or bodily humours
Quotations
timeline|
1800s=1849|
1900s=1927
1849 � w:Herman Melville|Herman Melville, s:Redburn. His First Voyage|Redburn. His First Voyage
:I pushed my seat right up before the most insolent gazer, a short fat man, with a plethora of cravat round his neck, and fixing my gaze on his, gave him more gazes than he sent.
1927 � w:H.P. Lovecraft|H.P. Lovecraft, s:Supernatural Horror in Literature|Supernatural Horror in Literature (The Aftermath of Gothic Fiction)
:Meanwhile other hands had not been idle, so that above the dreary plethora of trash like Marquis von Grosse's Horrid Mysteries..., there arose many memorable weird works both in English and German.
Synonyms
excess, abundance: excess, glut, surfeit, superfluity, slew
Related terms
plethoric
Translations
trans-top|excess, abundance
Dutch: overmaat (of: de)
French: pléthore f (of: de)
German: Fülle f, �berma� n
trans-mid
Italian: pletora (of: di)
Latin: #Latin|plethora
Spanish: plétora (of: de)
trans-bottom
Latin
Etymology
From AGr.|la polytonic|�ληθ��η (pl�th�r�) "fullness", from polytonic|�λήθ� (pl�th�) "I fill".
Noun
plethora (genitive plethorae); f, Wiktionary Appendix:Latin first declension|first declension
- (later Latin): #English|plethora
Related terms
pletura
Category:Greek derivations
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