zeugma

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
18
Words With Friends
21
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/ˈzjuːɡ.mə/
See all 2 pronunciations
/ˈzjuːɡ.mə/ · /ˈzuːɡ.mə/

Definition of zeugma

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable)The act of using a word, particularly an adjective or verb, to apply to more than one noun when its sense is appropriate to only one.
See all 2 definitions

noun

  1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable)The act of using a word, particularly an adjective or verb, to apply to more than one noun when its sense is appropriate to only one.
  2. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable)Syllepsis.
    “The existence of zeugmas suggests the rule of transitivity. Zeugmas appear incorrect because they embody an allegedly univocal use of a term in a way which violated^([sic]) the rule of transitivity.”
    “Thus I would describe 'He took his leave and the wrong umbrella' as zeugma, but not 'He took his hat and umbrella'. Zeugma is an important element in Chaucer's poetic technique, not because he uses it, but because he so regularly turns it down.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζεῦγμα (zeûgma, “yoking; a bond, a band”), from ζεύγνυμι (zeúgnumi, “to yoke; to join”), from ζεῦγος (zeûgos, “a yoke”).

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

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