multiply

See also multi-ply

English

Etymology 1

From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplicō, from multi (“many”) + plicō (“I fold”).

The noun presumably derives from the verb.

Pronunciation

• enPR: mŭlʹtĭ-plī, IPA: /ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/, X-SAMPA: /"mVltIplaI/

Verb

multiply (third-person singular simple present multiplies, present participle multiplying, simple past and past participle multiplied)

1. (transitive) To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).
2. (transitive, arithmetic) To perform multiplication on (a number).

   When you multiply 3 by 7, you get 21.

   He multiplied several numbers.

3. (intransitive) To grow in number.
4. (intransitive) To breed or propagate.
5. (intransitive, arithmetic) To perform multiplication.

   He had been multiplying, but it occurred to him he needed to resolve the exponents, first.

6. (transitive, rare) To be a factor in a multiplication with (another factor).
   • 1983, Graham Flegg, Numbers, 2002 Dover edition, ISBN 0486421651, page 154 [1]:

     This follows a similar process, counters having to be removed and replaced at each stage of the remaining part of the calculation except the final one, where 2 multiplies 3 to give 6.

   • 1993, Edward T. Dowling, Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Mathematical Methods for Business and Economics, ISBN 0070176744, page 14 [2]:

     Of all the possible combinations of factors above, only $(2\cdot4)+(3\cdot5)=23$. Carefully arranging the factors, therefore, to ensure that 2 multiplies 4 and 3 multiplies 5, we have

     $6x^2+23x+20=(2x+5)(3x+4)$

Synonyms

• (?): manifold

Related terms

• demultiply
• multiplicand
• multiplier
• remultiplication

Translations

increase the amount, degree or number of

• French: multiplier (fr)
• Latin: accumulō (la)

• Polish: pomnażać (pl), mnożyć (pl)
• Spanish: multiplicar (es)

transitive: perform multiplication on (a number)

• Arabic: ضاعف (ar) (ɖāʕfa)
• Chinese: 乘 (cmn) (chéng)
• Czech: násobit (cs), vynásobit (cs), znásobit (cs)
• Dutch: vermenigvuldigen (nl)
• Finnish: kertoa (fi)
• French: multiplier (fr)
• German: multiplizieren (de)
• Greek: πολλαπλασιάζω (el) (pollaplasiázo)
• Hungarian: megsokszorozódik (hu)
• Italian: moltiplicare (it)
• Japanese: 掛ける (ja) (かける, kakeru)
• Korean: 곱하다 (ko) (gophada)

• Manx: yl-raghey (gv)
• Mongolian: үржүүлэх (mn) (üržüüleh)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: multiplisere (nb), gange (nb)

  Nynorsk: multiplisere (nn), gange (nn)

• Polish: mnożyć (pl)
• Portuguese: multiplicar (pt)
• Russian: умножать (ru) (umnožát’)
• Spanish: multiplicar (es)
• Swedish: multiplicera (sv)
• Walloon: mopliyî (wa)

intransitive: grow in number

• Finnish: lisääntyä (fi)
• French: se multiplier (fr)
• Hungarian: sokszorosít (hu)

• Polish: mnożyć się (pl)
• Quechua: askhayay (qu)
• Spanish: multiplicar (es)

intransitive: breed or propagate

• Chinese: 繁殖 (cmn) (fánzhí)
• French: se multiplier (fr)
• Hungarian: szaporít (hu)

• Polish: mnożyć się (pl)
• Spanish: multiplicar (es)
• Walloon: si mopliyî (wa)

intransitive: perform multiplication

• Czech: násobit (cs)
• French: ‎faire la multiplication
• Greek: πολλαπλασιάζω (el) (pollaplasiázo)
• Manx: yl-raghey (gv)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: multiplisere (nb), gange (nb)

  Nynorsk: multiplisere (nn), gange (nn)

• Polish: mnożyć (pl)
• Spanish: multiplicar (es)
• Swedish: multiplicera (sv)

Noun

multiply (plural multiplies)

1. (computer science) An act or instance of multiplying.

Etymology 2

multiple +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• enPR: mŭlʹtĭ-plē, IPA: /ˈmʌltɪpli/, X-SAMPA: /"mVltIpli/

Adverb

multiply (comparative more multiply, superlative most multiply)

1. In many or multiple ways.