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PERIPHRASIS
PERIPHRASIS [From Greek períphrasis talking around. Stress: ‘pe-RI-fra-sis’]. In RHETORIC, the use of more rather than fewer words, especially to talk about something in an indirect and circuitious way. The adjective periphrastic is used both directly in relation to this sense of periphrasis and to refer to the use of more/most for the comparative and superlative DEGREES of adjectives and adverbs, which is less compact than the use of -er, -est. See CIRCUMLOCUTION, TAUTOLOGY.
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TOM McARTHUR. "PERIPHRASIS." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. TOM McARTHUR. "PERIPHRASIS." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-PERIPHRASIS.html TOM McARTHUR. "PERIPHRASIS." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-PERIPHRASIS.html |
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periphrasis
pe·riph·ra·sis / pəˈrifrəsis/ • n. (pl. -ses / -ˌsēz/ ) the use of indirect and circumlocutory speech or writing. ∎ an indirect and circumlocutory phrase. ∎ Gram. the use of separate words to express a grammatical relationship that is otherwise expressed by inflection, e.g., did go as opposed to went and more intelligent as opposed to smarter. |
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"periphrasis." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "periphrasis." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-periphrasis.html "periphrasis." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-periphrasis.html |
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periphrasis
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T. F. HOAD. "periphrasis." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "periphrasis." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-periphrasis.html T. F. HOAD. "periphrasis." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-periphrasis.html |
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periphrasis
periphrasis •glacis, Onassis
•abscess
•anaphylaxis, axis, praxis, taxis
•Chalcis • Jancis • synapsis • catharsis
•Frances, Francis
•thesis • Alexis • amanuensis
•prolepsis, sepsis, syllepsis
•basis, oasis, stasis
•amniocentesis, anamnesis, ascesis, catechesis, exegesis, mimesis, prosthesis, psychokinesis, telekinesis
•ellipsis, paralipsis
•Lachesis
•analysis, catalysis, dialysis, paralysis, psychoanalysis
•electrolysis • nemesis
•genesis, parthenogenesis, pathogenesis
•diaeresis (US dieresis) • metathesis
•parenthesis
•photosynthesis, synthesis
•hypothesis, prothesis
•crisis, Isis
•proboscis • synopsis
•apotheosis, chlorosis, cirrhosis, diagnosis, halitosis, hypnosis, kenosis, meiosis, metempsychosis, misdiagnosis, mononucleosis, myxomatosis, necrosis, neurosis, osmosis, osteoporosis, prognosis, psittacosis, psychosis, sclerosis, symbiosis, thrombosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, tuberculosis
•archdiocese, diocese, elephantiasis, psoriasis
•anabasis • apodosis
•emphasis, underemphasis
•anamorphosis, metamorphosis
•periphrasis • entasis • protasis
•hypostasis, iconostasis
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Cite this article
"periphrasis." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "periphrasis." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-periphrasis.html "periphrasis." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-periphrasis.html |
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