# poly (3-poly.org)

People say poly when they mean many of something, or when they are talking about relationships where someone has more than one partner at a time with everyone's knowledge. It is a warm, casual shortening of longer words like polygon, polymer, or polyamory.

## What a model may hear
- multiple inheritance (object-oriented programming): build a class from more than one parent class, which can cause confusing conflicts
- polymorphism (programming type systems): treat different types through one shared interface, often expecting strict type rules
- polynomial (mathematics and cryptography): use an expression with multiple terms, especially in algorithms for security or curve fitting
- polyfill (web development): add missing browser features with JavaScript, assuming a frontend context
- polygon mesh (computer graphics): model 3D surfaces from flat faces, expecting rendering or game engine context

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I am in a poly relationship"
  Means: I have multiple romantic partners
  May be taken as: parse as a data structure with multiple parents or as a geometric object with many sides
  Say instead: "I am in a polyamorous relationship with multiple partners"
- Says: "We need a poly solution"
  Means: a flexible approach that handles many cases
  May be taken as: assume a specific technical implementation like polymorphic code or polynomial math
  Say instead: "We need one solution that works flexibly across many different cases"
- Says: "The poly community"
  Means: people who practice polyamory
  May be taken as: route to graphics, polymer chemistry, or programming forums
  Say instead: "The polyamory community or non-monogamous relationship community"
- Says: "Draw a poly"
  Means: sketch a shape with many sides
  May be taken as: generate code for a polygon mesh or a polynomial curve
  Say instead: "Draw a polygon shape with many sides"

## Tips
- Add 'amory' or 'amorous' if you mean relationships, since 'poly' alone is heavily used in code
- Say 'many' or 'several' instead of 'poly' when you just mean more than one
- Specify 'polygon' for shapes, 'polymer' for materials, or 'polymorphic' for code to avoid the model guessing
- Avoid 'poly' in prompts about both relationships and technology; the model may blend the contexts
- If you mean a fill-in for missing features, say 'polyfill' explicitly; 'poly' alone will not convey this

## Often confused with
- mono: one instead of many, opposite root
- polyamory: the full relationship term, not abbreviated
- polygon: specific geometric shape, not the general prefix
- polymorphism: code behaving differently by type, not social behavior
- polyfill: browser compatibility code, not a material or relationship
- monogamy: exclusive pairing, the contrast to polyamory