Related Searches
Nearby Words

tmesis

[tuh-mee-sis] Origin

tme·sis

[tuh-mee-sis]
noun
the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word, as be thou ware for beware.

Origin:
1580–90; < Late Latin tmēsis < Greek tmḗsis a cutting, equivalent to tmē- (variant stem of témnein to cut) + -sis -sis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To tmesis

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Tmesis is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
tmesis (təˈmiːsɪs, ˈmiːsɪs)
 
n
interpolation of a word or group of words between the parts of a compound word
 
[C16: via Latin from Greek, literally: a cutting, from temnein to cut]

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
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tmesis
1577, from Gk. tmesis "a cutting," related to temnein "to cut," tome "a cutting" (see tome). The separation of the elements of a compound word by the interposition of another word or words (e.g. a whole nother).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature