multi

The word “multi” means informal short form for anything described as multi- something, most often used loosely as a prefix in casual speech. In plain terms, casual shorthand referring to something with many parts or uses.

Here is “multi” used in a sentence: “It's basically a multi-tool — hammer, screwdriver, pliers, all in one.”

“Multi” is a noun.

The word “multi” comes from Latin. A clipped, informal use of the Latin-derived prefix "multi-," meaning "many.".

“Multi” is a fairly common word in modern English.

'Multi-' means 'many' or 'more than one', from the Latin multus. It combines with other words to show multiplicity — multitasking (doing many things), multicoloured (many colours), multimillionaire, and multipurpose. Informally, 'multi' is sometimes clipped off and used on its own to stand in for such a word.

In casual speech, people shorten longer 'multi-' words. A multiple bet might be called 'a multi', and something with many colours or uses might simply be described as 'multi'. This clipped use is informal and context-dependent, relying on the listener to fill in the full 'multi-' word intended.