Figures of Speech Researched and Collected by Peter BuncePeter Bunce is our resident Distinguished Toastmaster. Aside from his copious speaking talents, he's also a fount of information about language and communication. Here he has meticulously researched and collected an exhaustive list of figures of speech, literary devices and verbal techniques. These devices and conventions are the threads that make up our rich, complex language. Used skillfully, they can inspire, intrigue, surprise and engage.
agnomination
[Latin agnominatio. See AGNOMEN. Latin, from ad ‘to’ and nomen ‘name’.] 2. Rhetoric Paronomasia; i.e., a play upon words in which the same word is used in different senses or words similar in sound are set in opposition, so as to give antithetical force; punning; a pun. Also, alliteration.alliteration
[Middle Latin alliteratio. See AD-; LETTER.] 1. repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of two or more consecutive words or of words near one another; as in: "Fly o’er waste fens and windy fields." (– Tennyson). 2. Specifically, recurrence of the same consonant sound or of vowel sounds initially in accented syllables of verse (See ALLITERATIVE POETRY); as in: "In a somer season whan soft was the sonne, I shope me in shrouds as I a shepe were." ( Piers Plowman)allegory
[French or Latin; French allégorie, from Latin allegoria from Greek allegoria ‘description of one thing under the image of another’, from allos ‘other’ (See ELSE) and a form akin to Greek agoreuein ‘to speak in the assembly’, ‘to harangue’, agora ‘place of assembly’. See GREGARIOUS. Cf. AGORAPHOBIA.] 1. The veiled presentation, especially in a figurative story or narrative, of a meaning metaphorically implied, but not expressly stated. An allegory is a prolonged metaphor, in which typically a series of actions are symbolic of other actions, while the characters often are types or personifications. Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and Spenser’s Faerie Queene are celebrated examples of the long allegory; Addison’s Vision of Mirza is a celebrated example of the short allegory. Synonymy: See FABLE. An allegory is the elaborate development of a metaphor, frequently in narrative form, sometimes at considerable length; its figures are commonly types or personifications, its incidents symbolic, its machinery more or less artificial.allusion
[Latin allusio, from alludere ‘to play with’, ‘to allude’, from ad ‘to’ and ludere ‘to play’. See ALLUDE, LUDICROUS.] 2. An alluding; an implied indication or indirect reference; a hint; often with to; as, a covert allusion to his pride. 3. An indirect reference in a discourse, by passing mention or quotation, to something generally familiar; as, Pope’s allusions to Horace; also, the use of such references.anacoluthon
plural anacolutha [ Greek anakolouthos, anakolouthon ‘not following’, ‘wanting sequence’, from an ‘not’ and akolouthos ‘following’.] Grammar a. A want of grammatical sequence or consistency in a sentence. b. Abandonment in the midst of a sentence of one type of construction in favor of one grammatically inconsistent. c. A sentence or expression in which the latter part does not syntactically carry out the construction begin in the first part (If you don’t reform – well, what can you expect?).anadiplosis
[Latin, from Greek anadiplosis, from ana ‘on’ and diploun ‘to double’.] Rhetoric Repetition of the last word ir any prominent word in a sentence or clause, at the beginning of the next, with an adjunct idea (Rely on his honor–honor such as his?).analogy
[French analogie, from Latin analogia, from Greek analogia, analogos ‘according to a due ratio’, ‘proportionate’, ana ‘on’ and logos ‘ratio’, ‘proportion’. See ANALOGOUS, LOGIC.] 1. A relation of likeness, between two things or of one thing to another, consisting in the resemblance not of the things themselves, but of two or more attributes, circumstances, or effects; thus, the analogy between sleep and death lies in the attendant cessation of activity and appearance of repose; and learning enlightens the mind because it is to the mind what light is to the eye, enabling it to discover things before hidden. Analogy is very commonly used to denote similarity or essential resemblance; but its specific meaning is a similarity of relations, and in this consists the difference between the argument from example and that of analogy. In the former we argue from the mere similarity of the two things, in the latter, from the similarity of their relations.anaphora
[Latin, from Greek anaphora, from ana ‘up’, ‘back’ and pherein ‘to carry’.] 1. Rhetoric Repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive clauses.anastrophe
[Greek anastrophe, from anastrephein ‘to turn up’, ‘to turn back’, from ana- ‘up’ and strephein ‘to turn’.] Rhetoric Inversion of the usual order of words ("Blessed are the meek").anecdote
[French, from Greek anekdotos ‘not published’, from an- ‘not’ and ekdotos ‘given out’, from ekdidonai ‘to give out’, ‘to publish’, from ek ‘out’ and didonai ‘to give’. See DATE ‘point of time’.] 2. A narrative, usually brief, of a separate incident or event of curious interest, told without malice and usually with intent to amuse or please, often biographical and characteristic of some notable person, especially his likable foibles. Synonymy: See STORY. An anecdote is a short account of a single incident, especially in the life of a well-known person; as, an anecdote of Lincoln’s boyhood.; an illustrative or pithy anecdote.antiphrasis
[Latin, from Greek antiphrasis, from antiphrazein ‘to express by antithesis’.] Rhetoric The use of words in a sense opposite to the proper meaning.antithesis
plural antitheses [Latin, from Greek antithesis, from antitithenai ‘to set against’, ‘to oppose’, from anti ‘against’ and tithenai ‘to set’. See THESIS.] 1. Rhetoric a. An opposition or contrast of ideas, especially one emphasized by the positions of the contrasting words, as when placed at the beginning and end of a single sentence or clause, or in corresponding positions in two or more sentences or clauses ("Measures, not men"; "The prodigal robs his heir; the miser robs himself"). b. The second of two sentences or clauses in antithesis.antonomasia
[Latin, from Greek antonomasia, from antonomazein ‘to name instead’, from anti ‘against’ and onomazein ‘to name’, from onoma ‘name’.] Rhetoric a. The use of epithet, official title, or the like, instead of the proper name of a person, as when his majesty is used for a king. b. The use of a proper name instead of an appellative, as when a wise man is called a Solomon.apologue
[French apologue, from Latin apologus, from Greek apologos. See APOLOGY, LEGEND. Greek apo ‘from’ and logos ‘speech’.] 1. A story or relation of fictitious events, intended to convey a useful lesson or a moral. The characters of apologues, as in those of Aesop and La Fontaine, are often animals. Synonymy: See FABLE.apophasis
[New Latin, from Greek apophasis ‘denial’, from apophanai ‘to speak out’, ‘to deny’.] 1. Rhetoric Mention of something in disclaiming intention to mention it (I will not speak of his unsavory past). Cf. PARALEPSIS.aporia
[Latin, ‘doubt’, from Greek aporia, from aporos ‘without passage’, ‘at a loss’, from a- ‘not’ and poros ‘passage’.] Rhetoric A professing, or matter about which one professes, to be at a loss what course to pursue, where to begin, what to say, etc.aposiopesis
[Latin, from Greek aposiopesis, from aposiopan ‘to be quite silent’.] Rhetoric A breaking off suddenly, as if unwilling or unable to state what was in one’s mind (I declare to you that his conduct – but I cannot speak of that here).apostrophe
[French and Latin; French apostrophe, from Latin apostrophus ‘apostrophe’, ‘the turning away or omitting of a letter’, from Greek apostophos, from apostrephein ‘to turn away’.] Rhetoric 1. A feigned turning from one’s audience to address directly a person or thing, now usually a dead or absent person, or an abstract idea or imaginary object; as, Milton’s apostrophe to Light (Paradise Lost III: 1 – 55).asyndeton
[Latin, from Greek asyndeton, from asyndetos ‘unconnected’, from a- ‘not’ and syndetos ‘bound together’. See SYNDETIC.] Rhetoric Omission of conjunctions which ordinarily join coordinate words or clauses (I came, I saw, I conquered.); opposed to polysyndeton.catachresis
plural catachreses [Latin, from Greek katachresis ‘misuse’, from katachresthai ‘to misuse’, from kata ‘against’, ‘down’ and chresthai ‘to use’.] Misuse of words or abuse of terms: a. Rhetoric Wrong use of one word for another (mutual for common); also, a wresting of a word from its true signification, as in a forced trope, or a mixed metaphor ("To take arms against a sea of troubles." – William Shakespeare). b. Philology The use of a word in an improper form though a mistake as to its origin, as calcariferous for calciferous.chiasmus
[New Latin, from Greek chiasmos ‘a placing crosswise’, from chiazein ‘to mark with a chi (?) or a cross’. See CHIASMA.] Rhetoric An inversion of the order of words in two corresponding parallel phrases or clauses, or of words when repeated ("Burns with one love, with one resentment glows").circumlocution
[Latin circumlocutio from circumloqui, circumlocutus, ‘to make use of circumlocution’, from circum ‘round about’, accusative of circus ‘a circle’, and loqui ‘to speak’. See CIRCUS, LOQUACIOUS.] Use of many words to express an idea that may be expressed by few or one word; indirect or roundabout language or expression. Synonymy: See REDUNDANCY. Redundancy, tautology, pleonasm, verbosity, verbiage, prolixity, diffuseness, circumlocution, periphrasis. Circumlocution and PERIPHRASIS (the latter being the more bookish term) denote a roundabout or indirect way of saying a thing; as, "Somehow I can’t relish that word hockey. Can’t you supply it by a circumlocution?" (– Lamb); "He was one of those anomalous practitioners in lower departments of the law who... on prudential reasons... deny themselves all indulgence of the luxury of too delicate a conscience (a periphrasis which might be abridge considerably)" (– De Quincey). Antonyms: conciseness, brevity, terseness, succinctness, pithiness.climax
[Latin, from Greek klimax ‘ladder’, ‘staircase’, from klinein ‘to bend’, ‘to lean’. See LADDER, LEAN.] 1. Rhetoric A figure in which a number of ideas or propositions are so arranged that each succeeding one rises above its predecessor in impressiveness or force. "‘Tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, and experience hope’ – a happy climax." (– J. D. Forbes)emphasis
[Latin, from Greek emphasis ‘significance’, ‘force of expression’, from emphainein ‘to show’, ‘to show in’, ‘to indicate’, from en ‘in’ and phainein ‘to make to appear’. See PHASE, PHENOMENON, PHANTOM.] 7. Rhetoric a. In reading or speaking, a particular prominence of utterance given to one or more words or syllables by stress, length, or pitch, to attract or hold attention to their special importance, emotional or logical, as when they are to be intensified or contrasted. b. In style, selective stress on particular parts or features to intensify impressiveness.enallage
[Latin, from Greek enallage ‘an exchange’, from enallassein ‘to exchange’, from en ‘in’ and allassein ‘to change’.] Grammar A substitution, as of one part of speech for another, or of one gender, number, case, person, tense, mode, or voice of the same word for another.epanadiplosis
[Late Latin, from Greek epanadiplosis, from epi ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘to’ and anadiploun ‘to make double’. See also EPIDIPLOSIS.] Rhetoric Use of a word at both the beginning and end of a sentence; encircling; as in, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice" or in, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalms 27: 14).epanalepsis
[New Latin, from Greek epanalepsis, from epi ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘to’ and analambanein ‘to take up’.] Rhetoric Repetition; echo.epanaphora
[Late Latin, from Greek epanaphora ‘recurrence’.] Rhetoric Anaphora; repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive clauses. See ANAPHORA.epanodos
[Late Latin, from Greek epanodos ‘a rising’, ‘a return’, from epi ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘to’ and anodos ‘a way up’, ‘rising’, from ana ‘up’ and hodos ‘way’.] Rhetoric A return after digression; also, a repetition in reverse order.epanorthosis
[Late Latin, from Greek epanorthosis, from epi ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘to’ and anorthoun ‘to set right again’.] Repetition of a term to call attention to its use.epibole
[Latin, from Greek epibole ‘a throwing upon’, from epiballein ‘to throw upon’, ‘to add to’, from epi ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘to’ and ballein ‘to throw’.] 1. Rhetoric Use in successive clauses of initial words which are the same or similar in meaning; as in: "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord is breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon." (Psalms 29: 3 – 5). Cf. Hebraic repetition.epidiplosis
[See EPANADIPLOSIS.] Rhetoric Double encircling; repeated epanadiplosis; as in, "Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises (Psalms 47: 6). (The preceding definition was found at the Web site below:)
http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app6.htmlepiphonema
[Latin, from Greek epiphonema, from epiphonein ‘to mention’.] Rhetoric An exclamatory sentence, or striking reflection, which concludes a passage.epistrophe
[Late Latin, from Greek epistrophe ‘a turning toward’, ‘return’, from epistrephein ‘to turn toward’, from epi ‘upon’, ‘to’ and strephein ‘to turn’.] 1. Rhetoric Termination of successive clauses or sentences with the same expression ("Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I." Second Corinthians 11: 22).erotesis
[New Latin, from Greek erotesis ‘a questioning’, from erotan ‘to ask’.] Rhetoric Interrogation for rhetorical effect.fable
[Old French, from Latin fabula, from fari ‘to speak’, ‘to say’. See FAME.] 1b. A story of supernatural or highly marvelous happenings, as in legend, myth, or folklore; also, such stories collectively; as, founded in fable. 1c. A narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; especially, one in which animals and even inanimate objects speak and act like human beings. See BEAST FABLE. 1d. Any story told to excite wonder; hence, common talk; the theme of talk. Synonymy: allegory, parable, fable, apologue. A fable or apologue (the latter being the more bookish term) is a short story in which the actions or qualities of beasts or inanimate objects are made to reflect, often satirically, human traits or foibles; as the fables of Aesop. Cf. COMPARISON, STORY.gemination
[Latin geminatio, from geminare ‘to double’. See GEMINI.] e. Rhetoric Formerly, the immediate repetition of a word or a locution expressing similar meaning.Hebraic repetition
saying the same thing over and over again in different words; used by King David in his writings. See EPIBOLE.hendiadys
[Late Latin, from Greek hen dia dyoin ‘one by two’.] Grammar Expression of an idea by two nouns connected by and, instead of by a noun and an adjunct (we drink from cups and gold for golden cups).hypallage
[Latin, from Greek hypallage, properly ‘interchange’, ‘exchange’, from hypallassein ‘to interchange’, from hypo ‘under’ and allassein ‘to change’.] Grammar and Rhetoric Interchange in syntactic relationship between two terms.hyperbaton
[Latin, from Greek hyperbaton, from hyperbatos ‘transposed’, from hyper ‘over’ and bainein ‘to step’.] A transposing or inverting of the idiomatic word order (echoed the hills for the hills echoed).hyperbole
[Latin, from Greek hyperbole, properly, ‘an overshooting’, ‘excess’; from Greek hyperballein ‘to throw over or beyond’, from hyper ‘over’ and ballein ‘to throw’. See also HYPER-; PARABLE. Cf. HYPERBOLA.] Rhetoric Extravagant exaggeration by which something is represented as much greater or less, better or worse, or as involving greater intensity, than in reality, or beyond possibility ("to dart with the speed of an arrow"); a statement exaggerated fancifully through excitement, or for effect ("This my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine." – William Shakespeare). "Somebody has said of the boldest figure in rhetoric, the hyperbole, that it lies without deceiving." – Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800 – 1859), Baron Macaulay of Rothley, English historian, essayist, poet, and statesman.hypozeugma [Latin, from Greek hypo ‘under’ and zeugma, from zeugnynai ‘to yolk’, ‘to join’.] Grammar The joining of several subjects with a single verb. Now rare.
hypozeuxis [New Latin, from Greek hypo ‘under’ and zeuxis ‘a joining’.] Grammar The use of successive clauses in a parallel construction, each complete with a subject and verb.
inversion
[Latin inversio.] 15. Rhetoric a. Metaphor. Now obsolete. b. Anastrophe; inversion of the usual order of words ("Blessed are the meek"). c. A turning of the tables in argument.litotes
[New Latin, from Greek litotes, from litos ‘plain simple’] Rhetoric Understatement to avoid censure or to increase the effect (a citizen of no mean city, that is, of an illustrious city).malapropism
[From Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s (1751-1816) Rivals, noted for her blunders in the use of words, from French mal à propos ‘inappropriate’.] A grotesque misuse of a word; also, a word so misused. (Sometimes appears as MALAPROP.)meiosis
[New Latin, from Greek meiosis, from meioun ‘to make smaller’, from meion.] 1. Rhetoric Literally, belittling: a. Representation of a thing so as to cause it to be taken as less than it really is. b. Litotes; understatement to avoid censure or to increase the effect (a citizen of no mean city, that is, of an illustrious city).metalepsis
plural metalepses [Latin, from Greek metalepsis ‘participation’, ‘alteration’, from metalambanein ‘to partake’, ‘to take in exchange’, from meta ‘beyond’ and lambanein ‘to take’.] Rhetoric Substitution by metonymy of one figurative sense for another. See METONYMY.metaphor
[French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek metaphora, from metapherein ‘to carry over’, ‘to transfer’, from meta ‘beyond’, ‘over’ and pherein ‘to bring’, ‘to bear’. See META-; BEAR ‘to carry’.] Rhetoric Use of a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea in place of another by way of suggesting a likeness or analogy between them (the ship plows the sea; a valley of oaths). See TROPE. A metaphor may be regarded as a compressed simile, the comparison implied in the former (a marble brow) being explicit in the latter (a brow white like marble). Synonymy: comparison, simile, metaphor. A metaphor imaginatively identifies one object with another, and ascribes to the first the qualities of the second; where the simile declares that A is like B, the metaphor assumes that A is B; as, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." (Proverbs 20:27) – "Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, bound for the prize?" (William Shakespeare) A metaphor may usually be expanded into a simile, and a simile condensed into a metaphor. Cf. FABLE, METONYMY.metonymy
[Latin metonymia, from Greek metonymia, from meta ‘indicating change’ and onymia, onoma ‘name’. See NAME.] Rhetoric use of one word for another that it suggests, as the effect for the cause, the cause for the effect, the sign for the thing signified, the container for the thing contained, etc. (darkness was the saving of us, for the cause of saving; a man keeps a good table, instead of good food; we read Vergil, that is, his poems; a man has a warm heart, that is, warm affections). See TROPE. Synonymy: metonymy, synecdoche alike involve the substitution for one idea of another closely allied to it. The technical distinction between the two, which may be seen in the definitions, is now little noted, and the tendency now is to allow metonymy to do duty for both. Cf. COMPARISON.onomatopoeia
[Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiia, from onoma, onomatos ‘a name’ and poiein ‘to make’.] 1. Philology a. Formation of words in imitation of natural sounds; the naming of a thing or action by a more or less exact reproduction of the sound associated with it (buzz; hiss; bobwhite); the imitative or echoic principle in language. Cf. BOWWOW THEORY. b. A word so formed; an onomatope. 2. Rhetoric The use of words whose sound suggests the sense."When Ajax strives some rock’s vast weight to throw,
The line too labors, and the words move slow;
Not so, when swift Camilla scours the plain,
Flies o’er th’ unbending corn and skims along the main."
– Alexander Pope (1688-1744), English poet.oxymoron
plural oxymora [New Latin, from Greek oxymoron, from oxymoros ‘pointedly foolish’, from oxys ‘sharp’ and moros ‘foolish’.] Rhetoric A combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words (cruel kindness; laborious idleness).parable
[Middle English, also parabole, from Old French parabole, from Latin parabola, from Greek parabole ‘a placing beside or together’, ‘a comparing’, ‘a comparison’, ‘a parable’, from paraballein ‘to throw beside’, ‘compare’, from para ‘beside’ and ballein ‘to throw’. See also PARA-; DEVIL. Cf. BALLISTIC, EMBLEM, HYPERBOLE, PALAVER, PARABOLA, PARLANCE, PARLEY, PAROLE, PROBLEM, SYMBOL.] A comparison; similitude; specifically, a short fictitious narrative of a possible event in life or nature, from which a moral or spiritual truth os drawn; as, the parables of Christ. Synonymy: See FABLE.paradiastole
[Latin, from Greek paradiastole ‘a putting together of dissimilar things’.] Rhetoric Contrast of similar things as for euphemism, as in styling "prodigality", "liberality".paraleipsis
also paralepsis or paralipsis plural -ses [Greek paraleipsis, from paraleipein ‘to leave on one side’, ‘to omit’, from para ‘beside’ and leipein ‘to leave’.] Rhetoric A passing over with brief mention so as to emphasize the suggestiveness of what is omitted (I confine to this page the volume of his treacheries and debaucheries). Cf. APOPHASIS.paregmenon
Rhetoric derivation; the repetition of words derived from the same root; as in: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..." (Matthew 16:18).paromology
also, paromologia [Greek paramologia, from para ‘beside’ and homologia ‘agreement’, from homo ‘the same’ and logos ‘speech’, ‘discourse’, ‘proportion’.] Rhetoric A concession to an adversary in order to strengthen one’s own argument.paronomasia
[Latin, from Greek paronomasia, from paronomazein ‘to form a word by a slight change’, from para ‘beside’ and onomazein ‘to name’, from onoma ‘a name’.] Rhetoric A play upon words in which the same word is used in different senses or words similar in sound are set in opposition, so as to give antithetical force; punning; a pun. Synonymy: See PUN.periphrasis
plural pariphrases [Latin, from Greek periphrasis, from peri ‘around’, ‘about’, ‘round’ and phrazein ‘to speak’. See PHRASE.] 1. Rhetoric Use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter and plainer form of expression, as use of a negative, passive, or inverted construction, naming by descriptive epithet, introduction of abstract general terms, etc.; a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; circumlocution. b. An instance of such use; a circumlocution. Synonymy: Redundancy, tautology, pleonasm, verbosity, verbiage, prolixity, diffuseness, circumlocution, periphrasis. CIRCUMLOCUTION and periphrasis (the latter being the more bookish term) denote a roundabout or indirect way of saying a thing; as, "Somehow I can’t relish that word hockey. Can’t you supply it by a circumlocution?" (– Lamb); "He was one of those anomalous practitioners in lower departments of the law who... on prudential reasons... deny themselves all indulgence of the luxury of too delicate a conscience (a periphrasis which might be abridge considerably)" (– De Quincey).personification
Act of personifying, or that which personifies; specifically: a. Attribution of personal form, character, etc.; representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form; especially, Rhetoric representation of an inanimate object or abstract idea as a personality or as endowed with personal attributes; prosopopoedia (See PROSOPOPOEDIA); also, an instance of this (the floods clap their hands; "confusion heard his voice." (– John Milton)). b. A divinity or imaginary being thought of as representing a thing or abstraction; as, Aeolus is the personification of wind. c. Embodiment; incarnation; as, to be the personification of pride. d. A dramatic or literary representation of a character.pleonasm
[Late Latin pleonasmus, from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein ‘to be more than enough’, ‘to abound’, from pleon, neuter of pleon, pleion ‘more’, comparative of polys ‘much’. See FULL; cf. POLY-, PLUS.] 1. Grammar and Rhetoric Redundancy or fullness of language in speaking or writing; the use of more words than are necessary to express the bare idea (I saw it with my own eyes; the eye, too, it looks out); also, a case of this, or the redundant or unnecessary word or expression. 2. Redundancy; a redundant thing. Synonymy: Redundancy, tautology, pleonasm, verbosity, verbiage, prolixity, diffuseness, circumlocution, periphrasis. Pleonasm (which may sometimes be a means of proper emphasis) denotes the use of words whose omission would leave one’s meaning intact; as: "It is a pleonasam, a figure usual in Scripture, by a multiplicity of expressions to signify one notable thing" (– Robert South (1634-1716)).ploce
[Latin, from Greek ploke ‘complication’.] Rhetoric Emphatic repetition of a word, with pregnant reference to its special significance ("His wife’s a wife ideed").polyptoton
plural polyptota [Late Latin, from Greek polyptotos ‘having many cases’, ‘being in many cases, from poly ‘many’, ‘much’, ‘multiple’ and ptotos ‘falling’, akin to Greek ptosis ‘case’ and piptein ‘to fall’. Cf. DIPTOTE, SYMPTOM.] Rhetoric Repetition of a word in different cases and inflections ("My own heart’s heart, and ownest own, farewell." – Tennyson).polysyndeton
[New Latin, from Greek poly ‘many’, ‘much’, ‘multiple’ and syndetos ‘bound together’.] Rhetoric Repetition of conjunctions in close succession, as of one connecting coordinates (we have ships and men and money and stores); opposed to asyndeton. See ASYNDETON, SYNDETIC.preterition
[Late Latin praeteritio; cf. French prétérition.] 3. Rhetoric Paraleipsis; a passing over with brief mention so as to emphasize the suggestiveness of what is omitted (I confine to this page the volume of his treacheries and debaucheries). See PARALEIPSIS.prolepsis
plural prolepses [Latin, from Greek prolepsis, from prolambanein ‘to take beforehand’, from pro ‘before’ and lambanein ‘to take’.] Anticipation; specifically: a. Rhetoric A figure by which objections are anticipated in order to weaken their force. b. Grammar The applying of an adjective to a noun in anticipation, or to denote the result, of the action of the verb (Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal").prolixity
[French prolixité, from Latin prolaxitas, akin to Latin prolixus ‘extended’.] 1. Quality or state of being prolix, or unduly protracted in duration; specifically, a stylistic quality resulting from verboseness, diffuseness, and confusing or tedious copiousness of detail. Synonymy: Redundancy, tautology, pleonasm, verbosity, verbiage, prolixity, diffuseness, circumlocution, periphrasis. Prolixity implies excessive and wearisome attention to trivial particulars.prosopopoedia
[Latin, from Greek prosopopoiia from prosopon ‘a face’, ‘a person’ and poiein ‘to make’.] Rhetoric Originally, representation of an absent person as speaking, or of a deceased person as alive and present; later, personification.repetition
[French répétition, from Latin repetitio, akin to Latin repetere, from re- ‘again’ and petere ‘to fall upon’, ‘to attack’, ‘to seek’. Cf. PETITION.] 8. Rhetoric Reiteration; also, repeating of the same word.rhetoric
[Middle English retorike, rethorike, from Old French rhetorique, from Latin rhetorica, from Greek rhetorike (understood techne), from rhetorikos ‘rhetorical’, ‘oratorical’, from rhetor ‘orator’. See WORD.] 1. The art of expressive speech or of discourse, especially of literary composition. Specifically: a. Originally, as cultivated by the Greeks, the study of the principles and technical resources of oratory, including both composition and delivery. Its development by the sophists and other political and professional orators made it regarded chiefly as the art of persuasion. b. In schools and colleges, the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by ancient critics, as Aristotle, Quintilian, and interpreted by classical scholars, for the application to discourse in the vernacular. c. Now, especially, the art of writing well in prose, as distinguished from versification and elocution. 2. Hence: a. Skillful or artistic use of speech; skill in the effective use of speech. b. Artificial elegance of language, or declamation without conviction or earnest feeling. 3. Persuasive or moving power; that which allures. 4. A treatise or work on rhetoric.rhetorical question
A question not intended to elicit an answer, but inserted for rhetorical effect. (Who does not love his country?)simile
[Latin, neuter of similis ‘like’, ‘similar’.] Rhetoric A figure of speech by which one thing, action, or relation is likened or explicitly compared in one or more aspects, often with as or like, to something of different kind or quality; an imaginative comparison (Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow"; "Reason is to faith what the eye to the telescope"). See TROPE. Synonymy: See COMPARISON. A simile is an imaginative comparison between objects which are essentially unlike, except in certain aspects; as, "I have compared one with the other, though very unlike, like all similes" (– Byron); "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (– Proverbs 25:25); "ponderous syllables, like sullen waves in the half-glutted hollows of reef rocks" (– Keats); "The feeling of unhappiness... covered him as a water covers a log" (– Kipling).similitude
[Old French, from Latin similitudo, from similis ‘similar’.] 2. That which likens one thing to another; fanciful or imaginative comparison. Specifically: a. A simile. b. A parable. c. An allegory.spoonerism
[After Reverend William A. Spooner (1844-1930), warden of New College, Oxford, England.] An accidental transposition of sounds, usually the initial sounds, of two or more words; as in "a blushing crow" for "a crushing blow".strange and twisted
The juxtaposition of two declarations that, while isolated, make sense as either truth or error, but when combined are absurd; e.g., "Are you Becky’s mother?" – "Yes, I am." – "Have you been all her life?"syllepsis
plural syllepses [Latin, from Greek syllepsis ‘a taking together", from syllambainein ‘to take together’, from syn ‘with’ and lambainein ‘to take’. Cf. LEMMA.] 1. Grammar The use of a word (as an adjective or verb) to modify or govern syntactically two (sometimes more) words, with only one of which it formally agrees in gender, number, etc. (e.g., Latin rex et regina beati.) Cf. ZEUGMA. 2. Rhetoric Use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two adjacent words in the context, one metaphorical and the other literal in sense (their taunts, more cutting than knives).symploce
[Late Latin, from Greek symploke ‘an interweaving’, from symplekein ‘to twine together’, from syn ‘with’ and plekein ‘to twine’.] Rhetoric The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and another at the end of successive clauses, a figure combining anaphora (repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive clauses) and epistrophe (termination of successive clauses or sentences with the same expression); as in, Justice came down from heaven to view the earth; justice returned to heaven and left the earth.syndetic
adjective [Greek syndetikos, from syndein ‘to bind together’, from syn ‘with’ and dein ‘to bind’. Cf. ASYNDETIC.] Connecting; connective; interconnected; also, indicated by a conjunctive; as, syndetic words or connection.synecdoche
[Latin synecdoche, from Greek synekdoche, from synekdechesthai ‘to receive jointly’, from syn ‘with’ and ekdechesthai ‘to receive’, from ek ‘out’ and dechesthai ‘to receive’.] Rhetoric A figure of speech which a part is put for the whole (fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (the smiling year for spring), the species for the genus (cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (a creature for a man), the name of the material for the thing made, etc. See TROPE.tautology
[Late Latin tautologia, from Greek tautologia.] 1. Rhetoric Repetition of the same words or use of synonymous words in close succession; also, an instance of this. 2. Repetition of a statement, of acts, experiences, etc., especially when superfluous. Synonymy: Redundancy, tautology, pleonasm, verbosity, verbiage, prolixity, diffuseness, circumlocution, periphrasis. Tautology is needless or useless repetition of the same idea in different words.trope
[French or Latin; French trope, from Latin tropus, from Greek tropos ‘a turning’, ‘turn’; akin to Greek trope ‘a turn’, trepein ‘to turn’, Sanskrit trapate ‘he is ashamed’, ‘he turns away’, and probably to Latin turpis ‘foul’, ‘base’. Cf. TROPHY, TROPIC, TURPITUDE.] 5. Rhetoric The use of a word or expression in a different sense from that which properly belongs to it, for giving life or emphasis to an idea; also, an instance of such use; a figure of speech. Tropes are chiefly four kinds: metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony.Wellerism
[from Sam Weller, the witty servant of Mr. Pickwick in the story Pickwick Papers (1836-1837) by Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English novelist.] An expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel (as "Every one to his own taste,’ said the old woman as she kissed the cow").(The preceding definition was found at the Web site below:)
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=Wellerismzeugma
[Latin, from Greek zeugma, from zeugnynai ‘to yolk’, ‘to join’. See YOLK.] Grammar and Rhetoric The use of a word (as an adjective or verb) to modify or govern two (sometimes more) words, with only one of which it appropriately makes sense (e.g., ‘terrified by threats or corrupted by flattery’, from Latin minus aut blandimentis corrupta). Cf. SYLLEPSIS.
Unless otherwise indicated, all definitions are from Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language Second Edition, Unabridged, with Reference History, by William Allan Neilson, Ph.D., LL.D., L.H.D., Litt.D., et al., Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1934, 1935. 3,210 pages.
Who
we are || Our meetings || Pictures || Toastmasters || Speaker Resources & Links
|| Word of the Day || Tips for Speakers || Fascinating Facts
for Speakers ||
