ellipsis
Use Ellipsis in a sentence
sɪs noun, plural el·lip·ses [-seez] .
[-seez] . 1.
Grammar.
a.
the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of who are, while I am, or while we are from I like to interview people sitting down.
b.
the omission of one or more items from a construction in order to avoid repeating the identical or equivalent items that are in a preceding or following construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I've been to Paris, but they haven't.
2.
Printing. a mark or marks as ——, …, or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To ellipsis
Collins
World English Dictionary
ellipsis (ɪˈlɪpsɪs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -ses | |
| 1. | Also called: eclipsis omission of parts of a word or sentence |
| 2. | printing a sequence of three dots (…) indicating an omission in text |
| [C16: from Latin, from Greek elleipsis omission, from elleipein to leave out, from leipein to leave] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Ellipsis
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
ellipsis
1570, from L. ellipsis, from Gk. elleipsis "a falling short, defect, ellipse," from elleipein "to fall short, leave out," from en- "in" + leipein "to leave" (see relinquish). Grammatical sense first recorded 1612.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
ellipsis [(i-lip-sis)]A punctuation mark (&ellipsis;) used most often within quotations to indicate that something has been left out. For example, if we leave out parts of the above definition, it can read: “A punctuation mark (&ellipsis;) used most often &ellipsis; to indicate&ellipsis4;”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
ellipsis
figure of speech characterized by the deliberate omission of a word or words that are, however, understood in light of the grammatical context. The device is exemplified in W.H. Auden's poem "This Lunar Beauty": But this was neverA ghost's endeavorNor finished this,Was ghost at ease;And till it passLove shall not nearThe sweetness hereNor sorrow takeHis endless look.
Learn more about ellipsis with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
All that's left is an ellipsis to indicate that something is missing.
Ellipsis button, which accesses probabilistic inputs.
The two share an affection for understatement and ellipsis, but they are otherwise completely different.
Treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, with three periods and a space on each end.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Related Questions
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
