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Fine Dictionary

polysynthetic

WordNet
  1. (adj) polysynthetic
    forming derivative or compound words by putting together constituents each of which expresses a single definite meaning
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
  1. Polysynthetic
    pŏl`ĭ*sĭn*thĕt"ĭk Characterized by polysynthesis; agglutinative.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  1. polysynthetic
    In philology, compounded of a number and variety of elements beyond the usual norm; exhibiting excessive intricacy of synthetic structure, as by the incorporation of objective and adverbial elements in the verb forms; incapsulated: as, a, polysynthetic word; characterized by such compounds: as, a polysynthetic language: first applied by Du Ponceau to the class of languages spoken by the Indian tribes of America. Also incorporative and (rarely) megasynthetic.
  2. polysynthetic
    In mineralogy, compounded of a number of thin lamellæ) in twinning position to each other, or characterized by this kind of structure: as, a polysynthetic twin. See twin.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. (adj) Polysynthetic
    pol-i-sin-thet′ik made up of many separate elements: formed by the combination of many simple words, as words in the native languages of America
Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary Poly-, + synthetic,

Usage in literature

This has been called by writers treating this subject, the polysynthetic. "Se-Quo-Yah; from Harper's New Monthly, V. 41, 1870" by Unknown

He says they are all, as I call them, polysynthetic, and resemble in that respect those of the Indians of the United States. "Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers" by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

I refer to the notions of "analytic," "synthetic," and "polysynthetic. "Language" by Edward Sapir

Very different from all these is the spirit of a polysynthetic language. "The Myths of the New World" by Daniel G. Brinton

And (4) their languages were polysynthetic, forming a class apart from all others in the world. "History of the United States, Vol. I (of VI)" by E. Benjamin Andrews

Their language is highly polysynthetic, and stands isolated from other tongues of Europe. "The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3" by Various

The crystals are sometimes polysynthetic, a large octahedron, e.g., being built up of small cubes. "Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5" by Various