multifoliated
|mul-ti-fo-li-a-ted|
🇺🇸
/ˌmʌltiˈfoʊliˌeɪtɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌmʌltiˈfəʊliˌeɪtɪd/
having many leaves or layers
Etymology
'multifoliated' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'multi-' from Latin 'multus' meaning 'many' and 'foliated' ultimately from Latin 'folium' meaning 'leaf'.
'multifoliated' changed from Medieval Latin 'multifoliatus' (a compound of 'multi-' + 'foliatus') and was adopted into English as the adjective 'multifoliated' to describe many‑leafed or many‑foliated objects.
Initially it meant 'having many leaves' (botanical sense), but over time it also came to mean 'having multiple foliation layers' in geology and related fields.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having many leaves or leaflets (botany); composed of or bearing multiple leaflets.
The multifoliated compound leaf bore seven small leaflets along its stem.
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Adjective 2
having multiple foliations or layered folia (geology/mineralogy); showing several generations or sets of planar features.
The schist was multifoliated, showing several distinct foliation surfaces formed during different deformation events.
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Last updated: 2026/01/11 00:55