plethora

English

WOTD – 26 April 2006

Etymology

From Late Latin plethora (earlier pletura), from Ancient Greek πληθώρη (plēthṓrē, “fullness”), from πλήθω (plḗthō, “I fill”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: plĕʹthərə, plĕʹdhərə, plĭthôʹrə, IPA(key): /ˈplɛθəɹə/, /ˈplɛðəɹə/, /plɪˈθɔːɹə/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɔːɹə

Noun

plethora (plural plethorae or plethoras)

  1. (usually followed by of) An excessive amount or number; an abundance.
    The menu offers a plethora of cuisines from around the world.
    • Jeffrey
      He labours under a plethora of wit and imagination.
  2. (medicine, archaic) An excess of red blood cells or bodily humours.

Quotations

  • 1849, Herman Melville, 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, H.P. Lovecraft, 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

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πληθώρη (plēthṓrē) (plēthōrē) "fullness", from πλήθω (plḗthō) (plēthō) "I fill".

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /pleːˈtʰoː.ra/, [pɫeːˈtʰoː.ra]

Noun

plēthōra f (genitive plēthōrae); first declension

  1. (later Latin): plethora

Synonyms

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