manifold

• manyfold

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmænɪˌfoʊld/, (nonstandard) /ˈmɛnɪˌfoʊld/, /ˈmɛniˌfoʊld/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmænɪˌfəʊld/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: man‧i‧fold
• Rhymes: -ænɪfoʊld

From Middle English manifold, from Old English maniġfeald (“manifold, various, varied, complicated, numerous, abundant, plural”), from Proto-Germanic *managafalþaz, equivalent to many +‎ -fold. Cognate with Middle High German manecvalt (“manifold”), Icelandic margfaldr (“multiple”). Compare also German mannigfaltig (“various”), Dutch menigvoudig (“various”), Danish mangefold (“multiple”), Swedish mångfald (“diversity”).

manifold (comparative more manifold, superlative most manifold)

1. Various in kind or quality; diverse.

   The manifold meanings of the simple English word set are infamous among dictionary makers.

2. Many in number, numerous; multiple, multiplied.
   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “The Supper of the Lorde, and the Holy Communion, Commonly Called the Masse”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: In officina Edowardi Whitchurche […], OCLC 56485293, folio cxxix, recto:

     And although we be vnworthy (through our manyfolde ſynnes) to offre vnto thee any Sacryfice: Yet we beſeche thee to accepte thys our bounden duetie and ſeruice: and commande theſe our prayers and ſupplicacions, by the Miniſtery of thy holy Angels, to be brought vp into thy holy Tabernacle before the ſyght of thy dyuine maieſtie: […]

3. Complicated.
4. Exhibited at diverse times or in various ways.

   c1384 ... the manyfold grace of God. — I Petre 4:10 (Wycliffe's Bible)

   1611 The manifold wisdom of God. — Ephesians 3:10. (w:King James Bible)

• (various in kind or quality): diverse, various, varied, multiplicitous; See also Thesaurus:heterogeneous
• (many in number): multiple, numerous; see also Thesaurus:manifold

• onefold
• singlefold

• manifolder
• manifoldly
• manifoldness

manifold (comparative more manifold, superlative most manifold)

1. Many times; repeatedly.
   • 1590, Spenser, Edmund, The Faerie Queene, book 1, canto 12:

     when his daughter deare he does behold, / Her dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold.

• frequently, ofttimes; see also Thesaurus:often

manifold (plural manifolds)

1. (historical) A copy made by the manifold writing process.
2. (mechanics) A pipe fitting or similar device that connects multiple inputs or outputs.
3. (US, regional, chiefly in the plural) The third stomach of a ruminant animal, an omasum.
   • 1830 Anson, Somerset Co. Me., accessed 12 June 2007

     My conjecture being right he will find the third stomach, or manifolds, the seat of difficulty.

4. (mathematics) A topological space that looks locally like the "ordinary" Euclidean space ${\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{n}}$ and is Hausdorff.
5. (computer graphics) A polygon mesh representing the continuous, closed surface of a solid object

In mathematics, a manifold of some number of dimensions n is termed an n-manifold (e.g. 3-manifold).

From Middle English manifolden, from Old English maniġfealdan (“to multiply, abound, increase, extend, reward”), equivalent to many +‎ -fold. Cognate with Middle High German manecvalten, Icelandic margfalda (“to multiply”), Swedish mångfaldiga (“to manifold, reproduce”).

manifold (third-person singular simple present manifolds, present participle manifolding, simple past and past participle manifolded)

1. (transitive) To make manifold; multiply.
2. (transitive, printing) To multiply or reproduce impressions of by a single operation.