# poly (2-poly.org)

People say poly to mean many of something, or to describe being open to more than one romantic relationship at a time. It is a short, friendly prefix that turns up in everyday words like polygon and polymer.

## What a model may hear
- polygon mesh (3D graphics and game engines): assume the user wants to create, edit, or reduce the count of polygons in a 3D model
- polymorphism (object-oriented programming): write code that uses objects of different classes through a shared interface, or explain inheritance and method overriding
- polynomial (mathematics and machine learning): treat the input as a request about polynomial functions, regression, or time complexity like O(n^poly)
- polyfill (web development): inject compatibility code so older browsers support newer JavaScript features

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "make it poly"
  Means: make it work for multiple people or uses
  May be taken as: generate a polygon-heavy 3D asset or add a polyfill script
  Say instead: "make it support multiple users at once"
- Says: "poly relationship"
  Means: a romantic relationship with multiple partners
  May be taken as: explain database poly-relationships or polynomial curve fitting
  Say instead: "romantic relationship with multiple partners, not technical"
- Says: "reduce the poly"
  Means: simplify something with too many parts
  May be taken as: decimate a 3D mesh or lower polynomial degree
  Say instead: "simplify by reducing the number of parts or options"

## Tips
- say romantic if you mean relationships, since poly alone skews technical
- specify 3D or mesh if you do mean polygons
- say supports many or multiple if you mean general versatility
- add by Microsoft or web if you mean the Poly file preview tool
- avoid poly as a verb; say what you want done instead

## Often confused with
- multi: neutral Latin root, less often a relationship term
- mono: the opposite prefix, one instead of many
- polyfill: specific to browser code compatibility, not relationships
- polygon: always a geometric shape, never social
- polymath: a person of wide learning, not a coding pattern