In British English, a poly is a polytechnic: a college that taught practical subjects such as engineering, art and design, or business, often for students who would go into work rather than a long research degree.

In British English在英式英語裡， a poly poly is就是 a polytechnic polytechnic（理工學院）的簡稱： a college一種學院， that taught practical subjects such as engineering, art and design, or business教的是像工程、藝術設計或商業這類實用科目， often for students who would go into work rather than a long research degree通常給打算直接工作、而不是去唸長期研究學位的學生唸。

People said “I’m at the poly” the way they now say “I’m at uni.” It is informal, and a little old. Though actually, in the 1990s most British polys were turned into universities, so younger speakers hardly use this.

People said人們以前會說 “I’m at the poly”「I'm at the poly我在念poly」， the way they now say “I’m at uni.”就像現在會說「I'm at uni我在念大學」一樣。It is informal這個說法很口語， and a little old而且有點過時。Though actually不過事實上， in the 1990s在1990年代， most British polys were turned into universities大部分英國的poly都改制成了大學， so younger speakers hardly use this所以年輕一輩的人幾乎不太這樣講了。

In American English this college sense is rare. The same short form poly can point at other words in other rooms — cloth, maths, relationships — but this entry is only the British college.

In American English在美式英語裡， this college sense這個指學校的意思 is rare很少見。The same short form poly同樣是poly這個縮寫， can point at other words in other rooms在別的地方可以指別的字— cloth, maths, relationships像布料（polyester）、數學（poly-）、多重關係（polyamory）— but this entry is only the British college但這個詞條只講英國的這所學院。