zeugma

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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. Syllepsis.

Pronunciation

/ˈzjuːɡ.mə/ /ˈzuːɡ.mə/ En-us-zeugma.ogg

Word forms

zeugma zeugmata zeugmas

Etymology

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

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