Etymology From French multiple, itself from Late Latin multiplus.
1
More than one (followed by plural).
My Swiss Army knife has multiple blades.
Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2015:
1 more example
A study Kennedy discussed on multiple podcast episodes exposed male African clawed frogs to atrazine in a lab, castrating 75% of the male frogs and turning one in 10 males into females.2023 July 13, Abby Turner and Andrew Kaczynski, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly suggested that chemicals in water are impacting sexuality of children”, in CNN:
multiple
adj
Etymology From French multiple, itself from Late Latin multiplus.
1
Having more than one element, part, component, or function, having more than one instance, occurring more than once, usually contrary to expectations (can be followed by a singular).
Some states do explicitly prohibit multiple citizenship.
It was a multiple pregnancy: the woman had triplets.
2 more examples
Multiple registrations are an increasing problem for many social networking sites.
Now, let's briefly explore two different approaches for creating sites for a multiple audience: multiserving and responsive design.2012, Dino Esposito, Architecting Mobile Solutions for the Enterprise:
2
Of a person: displaying or experiencing two or more distinct personalities or selves in one body.
While being multiple can cause complexity to people’s lives, as will be highlighted below, all respondents noted that they would not want to change their experiences of being multiple.2024, Zarah Eve, “Expert-by-experience intrapersonal findings” (chapter 6), in Exploring emerging multiplicity and psychosocial functioning: A constructivist grounded theory study (PhD thesis), Manchester Metropolitan University, page 145:
One might view this attempt to ensure the scarcity of a multiple as both a marketing ploy and form of elitism.1996, Southeastern College Art Conference Review:
4
A single individual who displays or experiences multiple personalities or selves.
I had seen its first show when it was a freebie, but I thought it made multiples in general look silly – no one changes clothes THAT much!2010, Ann M. Garvey, Ann's Multiple World of Personality: Regular No Cream, No Sugar:
Non-abused multiples have no need of doctors, and they have carved out a foothold of their own from where they speak confidently about their utopian vision of a multiple world.2000, Henk Driessen, Ton Otto, Perplexities of identification, page 115:
5
One of a set of siblings produced by a multiple birth.
6
A chain store.
The big advantage such multiples can offer over a purely catalogue operation is that winners can be given shopping vouchers enabling them to choose from goods on display in the multiples' many outlets (Woolworths, for example, has 1,000).1979, Management Today, page 96:
7
A discovery resulting from the work of many people throughout history, not merely the work of the person who makes the final connection.
Merton's argument that all scientific discoveries are multiples would seem to contradict the theory of genius […]2016, Thomas Söderqvist, The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography, page 99:
8
More than one piercing in a single ear.
First of all, the 'greenhorn' stigma of piercing has worn off. The older woman sees her daughter wearing multiples. So she's confident enough to have her ears pierced at least once.1976, Jewelers' Circular/Keystone, volume 147, numbers 1-6, page 40: