Revised as of
10 Dec 2022
I stumbled over “without the multiply redundant power and control circuits”, and I got so confused.
Then I realized I shouldn’t have. Yeah, I hate to admit when I’m wrong. It doesn’t help that when multiply is used as an adverb it’s pronounced differently. Not that it’s an excuse . . .
Multiple is about parts and connections, including electrical as an adjective or noun.
Multiply is all about increasing and performing mathematical functions as an adverb or verb.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Multiple | Multiply |
|---|---|
Multiple Thoughts Man is in the public domain, via OpenClipArt. |
Go Forth and Multiply is in the public domain, via PxHere. |
| Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: multiples |
Adverb 1; Verb 2, intransitive & transitive
Third person present verb: multiplies |
| Adjective: Having or involving several parts, elements, or members
[Electrical; of circuits] Arranged in parallel [Electrical; of a circuit or circuits] Having a number of points at which connection can be made [Botany; of a fruit] Collective Noun: [Electrical] An arrangement of terminals that allows connection with an electrical circuit at any one of several points [British] A shop with branches in many places, especially one selling a specific type of product |
Adverb: [Often as submodifier] In several different ways or respects 1 Verb, intransitive:
[Mathematics] To perform the process of multiplication Verb, transitive:
[Mathematics] To find the product of by multiplication |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: Joey just bought a multiple occupancy building. There are multiple talented children here today. Did you hear about Bethany? She had a multiple birth. That’s English for ya, lots of words with multiple meanings. This handy tool has multiple uses. He suffered a multiple fracture of the femur. “A multiple receptacle has two or more contact devices on the same yoke” (Article). Noun: Twelve is a multiple of 3. We’ll need that parallel circuit with its multiple paths. “If you have multiple access points enabled on your network, as you walk around your home with a wireless device, it connects to the strongest signal — generally the closest access point” (Enable). Figs and pineapples are examples of multiple fruits. Who knew? Chipotle, Subway, McDonald’s, Arby’s, and Taco Bell are examples of one category of a food multiple. |
Adverb: Across the range of empirical indicators relating to age, occupational status, health status, and housing, it is evident that they are a group who are multiply disadvantaged. Males and females mate multiply with the same, as well as with different, partners. But after all that is said, the accounts given are not disproved by being multiply reported. Verb, intransitive: Ever since I became a landlord my troubles have multiplied tenfold. His worries multiplied. Listeria and other bacteria were able to multiply in very low temperatures. Frogs multiply externally by fertilizing the eggs as the female frog releases them. Verb, transitive: Cigarette smoking combines with other factors to multiply the risks of atherosclerosis. Researchers multiply these varieties to provide new plants for the farmers. This is a good way to multiply your plants, free of charge. “All right, multiply the undead — easy enough, in retrospect, even if no one had thought of it before” (Corliss). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: multiplex, nonmultiple Adverb: multiply Noun: multiplicity, nonmultiple |
Adjective: multipliable, multiplicable, multiplicative, multiplicious, self-multiplied, self-multiplying, unmultiplied, unmultiplying Noun: multiplicand, multiplication, multiplying |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-17th century, from the French, which is from the Latin multiplex in the mathematical sense meaning multiple. |
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Multiple versus Multiply
Apple Dictionary.com
“Article 100 Receptacle.” Electrical License Renewal. n.d. Web. 6 Aug 2022. <https://www.electricallicenserenewal.com/Electrical-Continuing-Education-Courses/NEC-Content.php?sectionID=794.0>.
Corliss, Richard. “Richard Matheson (1926–2013): The Wizard of What-If?” Entertainment. Time. 28 June 2013. Web. 6 Aug 2022. <https://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/28/richard-matheson-1926-2013-the-wizard-of-what-if/>.
Dictionary.com: multiple, multiply
“Enable or Disable Wi-Fi Access Points.” Google Fiber Help. n.d. Web. 6 Aug 2022. <https://support.google.com/fiber/answer/4584198?hl=en>.
Lexico.com: multiple, multiply
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Multiplication Models 5-8 by Natural Math is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Flickr. This image is only a small part of a larger poster you can purchase on Amazon.
