In criminal law. The offense of having several wives or husbands at the same time, or more than one wife or husband at the same time. The offense committed by a layman in marrying while any previous wife is living and undivorced; as distinguished from bigamy in the sense of a breach of ecclesiastical law Involved in any second marriage by a clerk. Polygamy, or bigamy, shall consist in knowingly having a plurality of husbands or wives at the same time. Code Ga. 1882,