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syllepsis

Pronunciation: /sɪˈlɛpsɪs/
Definition of syllepsis

noun (plural syllepses /-siːz/)

  • a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others of which it grammatically suits only one (e.g. neither they nor it is working).
  • another term for zeugma.

Derivatives

sylleptic

adjective

Origin:

late Middle English: via late Latin from Greek sullēpsis 'taking together'

syllepsis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of syllepsis in the US English dictionary
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