proli-, prol- +

(Latin: offspring, child)

proliferator (s) (noun), proliferators (pl)
A person, animal, or any thing that causes growth or a rapid increase: Mary called her cat a proliferator because she had so many kittens at one time and about 3 times every year!
proliferophilist, proliferophile (s) (noun); proliferophilists; proliferophiles (pl)
A collector of miscellaneous items: James, known to be a proliferophilist, had a lot of interests and loved to go to antique stores where he always found an unusual item or two, and therefore accumulated numerous objects over the years.
proliferous (adjective), more proliferous, most proliferous
1. In zoology, referring to propagation by means of buds and side branches: Corals are known to be proliferous as they develop abundant calcareous deposits forming reefs or islands in warm water seas.
2. In botany, concerning the free production of buds or offshoots: Some plants are quite proliferous and grow additional sprigs and branches from a flower or from a terminal part.
proliferously (adverb), more proliferously, most proliferously
Referring to how people, animals, or things produce quite freely: Jenifer loved to write stories and they were published proliferously in the popular magazine for teenagers every week.
prolific (adjective), more prolific, most prolific
1. A reference to a person or an animal that produces offspring abundantly, or a plant that provides a plentiful amount of fruit or young plants: Jerry's prolific rabbits needed bigger cages because there were too many of them for the space that was available before.
2. Relating to a person who produces works in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive: Jennifer was such a prolific writer that she had many novels printed for her readers.
3. Characterized by abundant production: This has been a prolific year of killings by explosives and other destructive means in so many countries.
4. Etymology: from Latin proles, "offspring" + facere, "to make".
Referring to producing in great abundance.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

prolificacy (s) (noun), prolificacies (pl)
1.The abundant production and sustainment of growth; fertile: Oleander bushes develop the best in warm or hot weather and need plenty of water to produce a prolificacy in perpetual flowering and luxuriant foliage.
2.The output of a large number of literary or artistic works: John Grisham is known for his prolificacy in writing novels, legal and crime thrillers which are printed in 42 languages and are read by people all over the world.
prolifical (adjective), more prolifical, most prolifical
Referring to the production of offspring or fruit in abundance; fruitful; profuse: The land was so fertile and the summer so wonderful that Tim and Joan had a prolifical amount of peaches that year.
prolifically (adverb), more prolifically, most prolifically
1. Referring to how the production of offspring, young, fruit, etc. occurs in an abundant manner; highly fruitfully: We always enjoy how prolifically our apple tree gives us fruit."
2. A reference to how the production of something takes place in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productively: Tammy was writing prolifically every year.
3. Characterizing how vegetables, plants, etc. yield abundantly: Our garden gave us plenty to eat that year because it prolifically produced great crops.
prolification (s) (noun), prolifications (pl)
1. The production of young or offspring: Jane's cat was very good at prolification because she had kittens about 3 or 4 times as year!.
2. Reproduction by the growth of a plant, or part of a plant, directly from an older one: Prolification is a common phenomenon in strawberry plants, pineapple plants, and roses.
prolificness (s) (noun) (no pl)
The quality or state of being fertile; fruitfulness; richness: The prolificness of animals increases with the domestic breeding of cows, chickens, pigs, etc. on ranches and farms.
proligerous (adjective), more proligerous, most proligerous
1. Of or relating to the production of offspring; generative: If not controlled in any way, mice would be quite proligerous and overrun gardens and basements!
2. Concerning offshoots, bulblets, or plantlets that produce freely: In mosses, proligerous activity takes place when young shoots are brought forth from the antheridial or archegonial cluster of leaves.

Related "birth, born, childbirth, offspring" words: abort-; feto-; lochio-; nasc-, nat-; toco-, toko-.