Manifold

How to spell manifold

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce manifold

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does manifold mean?

1. adjectiveMany and various; existing in a wide range of kinds or forms.
2. nounA pipe or chamber with several openings that distribute fluid or gas among multiple branches, as in an engine.

Manifold in a sentence

• adjective

  The benefits of regular exercise are manifold and well documented.

• noun

  The mechanic replaced the cracked exhaust manifold on the old car.

• adjective

  The committee faced manifold problems before the budget was approved.

• noun

  Hot air leaking from the intake manifold reduced the engine's power.

Where does manifold come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a genuinely native English word, descending from the Old English manigfeald, which simply joined manig, meaning 'many', to the suffix -feald, meaning 'folded' or 'times over', the same element seen in 'twofold' and 'threefold'. The literal idea was something many times multiplied or folded, and from that grew the sense of 'numerous and varied'. The word has been in continuous use since before the Norman Conquest, making it one of the older items in English, and it has close cousins across the Germanic family, such as German 'mannigfaltig'. The mechanical meaning, a chamber or pipe with many branches feeding several outlets, arose much later in the industrial age, drawing directly on that same image of one thing dividing into many. The spelling keeps the old -fold ending intact, so the trap is simply remembering it is one solid word and not 'manyfold'.

How the word is built

• mani- (from Old English manig: many)
• -fold (-feald: folded, times)