To increase in number or amount; to perform mathematical multiplication; to reproduce or breed. Implies growth through addition of similar units or through mathematical operation.
From Latin 'multiplicare' meaning 'to make many-fold' (multus 'many' + plicare 'to fold'). The mathematical sense developed in medieval times through Arabic mathematical texts, while the biological sense of reproduction has been present since Latin origins.
The 'plic' root means 'fold' and appears in 'complicate' (fold together) and 'duplicate' (fold in two)! When you multiply, you're literally 'folding many times'—like folding a paper repeatedly to create multiple layers, whether in math or biology.
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