bigamy

bigamy
bigamy (n.) "state of having two wives or husbands at the same time," mid-13c., from O.Fr. bigamie (13c.), from Church L. bigamia, from L.L. bigamus "twice married," a hybrid from bi- "double" (see BI- (Cf. bi-)) + Gk. gamos "marrying" (see GAMETE (Cf. gamete)). The Greek word was digamos "twice married."
Bigamie is unkinde ðing, On engleis tale, twie-wifing. [c.1250]
In Middle English, also of two successive marriages or marrying a widow.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • bigamy — big·a·my / bi gə mē/ n [Medieval Latin bigamia, ultimately from Latin bi two + Greek gamos marriage]: the crime of marrying someone while still legally married to someone else compare polygamy big·a·mist / mist/ n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of… …   Law dictionary

  • Bigamy — Big a*my, n. [OE. bigamie, fr. L. bigamus twice married; bis twice + Gr. ? marriage; prob. akin to Skt. j[=a]mis related, and L. gemini twins, the root meaning to bind, join: cf. F. bigamie. Cf. {Digamy}.] (Law) The offense of marrying one person …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bigamy — ► NOUN ▪ the offence of marrying someone while already married to another person. DERIVATIVES bigamist noun bigamous adjective. ORIGIN Old French bigamie, from BI (Cf. ↑bi ) + Greek gamos married …   English terms dictionary

  • bigamy — [big′əmē] n. pl. bigamies [ME & OFr bigamie < LL bigamus < L bi , BI 1 + Gr gamos, marriage: see GAMO ] the act of marrying a second time while a previous marriage is still legally in effect: when done knowingly, it is a criminal offense …   English World dictionary

  • bigamy — n. to commit; practice bigamy * * * [ bɪgəmɪ] practice bigamy to commit …   Combinatory dictionary

  • bigamy — I (Roget s IV) n. Syn. polygamy, unlawful polygamy, plural marriage, real bigamy, interpretative bigamy; see also polygamy . II (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) n. polygamy, group marriage …   English dictionary for students

  • bigamy — [[t]bɪ̱gəmi[/t]] N UNCOUNT Bigamy is the crime of marrying a person when you are already legally married to someone else …   English dictionary

  • bigamy — /bigamiy/ The criminal offense of willfully and knowingly contracting a second marriage (or going through the form of a second marriage) while the first marriage, to the knowledge of the offender, is still subsisting and undissolved. The state of …   Black's law dictionary

  • bigamy — /bigamiy/ The criminal offense of willfully and knowingly contracting a second marriage (or going through the form of a second marriage) while the first marriage, to the knowledge of the offender, is still subsisting and undissolved. The state of …   Black's law dictionary

  • Bigamy (in Canon Law) —     Bigamy (in Canon Law)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Bigamy (in Canon Law)     According to the strict meaning, the word should signify the marrying of a second after the death of the first wife, in contradistinction to polygamy, which is… …   Catholic encyclopedia

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