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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A superabundance; an excess.
  2. n. An excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. In pathology, overfullness of blood; a redundant fullness of the blood-vessels.
  2. n. Overfullness in any respect; superabundance.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An excessive amount or number; an abundance.
  2. n. An excess of red blood cells or bodily humours.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. Overfullness; especially, excessive fullness of the blood vessels; repletion; that state of the blood vessels or of the system when the blood exceeds a healthy standard in quantity; hyperæmia; -- opposed to anæmia.
  2. n. State of being overfull; excess; superabundance.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. extreme excess

Etymologies

  1. Late Latin plēthōra, from Greek, from plēthein, to be full; see pelə-1 in Indo-European roots.

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  • bilby "Although there is a strangely monotonous plethora of incident, the plots play continual variations upon a few themes and personages."
    - Carl Van Doren, 'The American Novel'. Sep 20, 2009

  • chained_bear Oh, ha, ha, ha!! I'm sorry for any discomfort, P_U, but this exchange kind of made me smile. :) Absolutely post your wordie (and Wordie) beautifulness here. Jul 30, 2009

  • PossibleUnderscore Oh, right. Thanks for that clarification! :-) Jul 30, 2009

  • bilby Uhh, I hope you realise chained_bear was referring to Dr Goodword, Possibubbles. By all means share your finds here, no harm in that at all. Jul 30, 2009

  • PossibleUnderscore Sorry... Jul 29, 2009

  • chained_bear And... git. Jul 28, 2009

  • PossibleUnderscore oh...you did? I guess you all knew about it then. tee hee *blushes* Jul 28, 2009

  • bilby Undies, we discussed his list a while ago on beautiful. Jul 28, 2009

  • PossibleUnderscore Hey--'plethora' is on the list of 100 Most Beautiful Words as chosen by Dr. Goodword (Robert Beard), who has been making dictionaries, creating word lists, and writing poetry for 40 years.

    http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/100_most_beautiful_words.html Jul 28, 2009

  • bilby A note slipped from the folder. Your auntie sent it on to Uncle Jim. His clever grandson posted it on the internet. About your rabid putsch for control of the International Piñatomasochism League.

    Sorry dude. Apr 23, 2008

  • plethora You want to beat me with a stick, bilby? Apr 23, 2008

  • bilby Can we have a piñata of plethoras then? Apr 23, 2008

  • plethora I don't think that you actually can have a plethora of piñatas. You can never have too many piñatas, in my humble opinion. Apr 23, 2008

  • chained_bear Don't wibble, plethora. Your username gives good mouthfeel, no matter what Uselessness tagged it. :) (Or, you know, wibble all you want, as long as it makes you feel good.) Apr 22, 2008

  • sionnach If you started with a plethora of piñatas, but your stock was decimated in a freak fire-ant infestation, would what you had left still constitute a plethora?

    I like the term boatload myself. Or oodles. Or scads. Apr 22, 2008

  • plethora *reads comments*
    *reads tag*
    *wibbles* Apr 22, 2008

  • asativum It essentially comprises the epitome of words that a plethora of people get wrong... Jan 27, 2008

  • mollusque The original meaning of "plethora" was overabundance of one of the humors, especially blood. Treatments included bleeding the patient, using leeches. So "plethora" is merely continuing its course of amelioration.

    Has anywordie done a list of ameliorations or pejorations? Nov 26, 2007

  • iangilman As seen in a Cracked's '9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think'. Nov 26, 2007

  • pheiticeira Actually I think the association can be traced to the abundantly unfunny Dane Cook who used this it 4 times during a recent tour. Oct 25, 2007

  • reesetee Sellibee, I think everyone should own a copy of that movie. :-) Oct 22, 2007

  • selliebee The Three Amigos. I should own this movie. Oct 22, 2007

  • uselessness I've already commented on the overratedness of this word, but I should add that it's especially annoying when people emphasize the second syllable. It's "PLETH er uh," not "pleth OR uh." May 22, 2007

  • uselessness Good quote, but this word is ridiculously overrated. I've grown tired of hearing all the kiddies at school saying it to one another as though it were a mark of intelligence. It's almost as bad as "epitome." Both words should be blacklisted for ten years, and then gloriously rediscovered. Dec 13, 2006

  • benefactor I think much credit for plethora's popularity should definitely go to the movie "The Three Amigos". Read:

    Jefe: I have put many beautiful piñatas in the storeroom, each of them filled with little surprises!
    El Guapo: Many piñatas?
    Jefe: Oh yes, many!
    El Guapo: Would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?
    Jefe: A what?
    El Guapo: A plethora.
    Jefe: ...Oh yes. You have a plethora.
    El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
    Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
    El Guapo: Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora!
    Jefe: Forgive me, El Guapo, I know that I, Jefe, do not have your superior intellect and education, but could it be that once again, you are angry at something else, and are looking to take it out on me?

    www.benfranzini.com Dec 7, 2006

‘plethora’ has been looked up 5259 times, loved by 45 people, added to 327 lists, commented on 26 times, and has a Scrabble score of 13.