plethora
pronunciation
How to pronounce plethora in British English:
UK [ˈpleθərə]
How to pronounce plethora in American English:
US [ˈplɛθərə]
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- Noun:
- extreme excess
Word Origin
- plethora
- plethora: [16] Greek plēthórē meant ‘fullness’ (it was derived from the verb pléthein ‘fill’, a descendant of the Indo-European base *plē-, from which English gets full, plenty, etc). It was taken over into late Latin as plēthōra, and at first was widely used as a medical term, denoting an ‘excess of blood or other fluids in the body’. That was what it originally denoted in English, but by the end of the 16th century the more general ‘surplus’ was coming into use.=> full
- plethora (n.)
- 1540s, a medical word for "excess of body fluid," from Late Latin plethora, from Greek plethore "fullness," from plethein "be full" (see pleio-). Figurative meaning "too-muchness, overfullness in any respect" is first recorded 1700. Related: Plethoric.
Example
- 1. A plethora of tips are available on presenting designs and public speaking .
- 2. Out of that plethora of data fell the human brain 's synchronous background hum .
- 3. Meanwhile , regional co-operation has spawned a plethora of new security forums and organisations .
- 4. Already , there is a plethora of start-ups offering to help businesses cut greenhouse gases .
- 5. One reason for the plethora of challengers is that mr bercow lacks support within his own party .