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Abbreviation - BrainstormingA glossary of grammatical and rhetorical terms, from ABBREVIATION to BRAINSTORMING. Click on a term for definitions, examples, word history, pronunciation guide, and links to related articles.
abbreviation
A shortened form of a word or phrase. absolute adjective
An adjective with a meaning that is generally not capable of being intensified or compared. absolute phrase
A group of words (often consisting of a participle and its subject) that modifies an independent clause as a whole. abstract noun
A noun that names an idea, a quality, or a concept. accismus
Coyness: a form of irony in which a person feigns a lack of interest in something that he or she actually desires. accumulation
Figure of speech in which a speaker or a writer gathers scattered points and lists them together. acronym
A word formed from the initial letters of a name or by combining initial letters of a series of words. active voice
The verb form in which the subject of the sentence performs or causes the action expressed by the verb. adjective
The part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun. adjective clause
A dependent clause used as an adjective within a sentence. adverb
The part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. adverb clause
A dependent clause used as an adverb within a sentence. agrammatism
The pathological inability to use words in grammatical sequence. allegory
Extending a metaphor so that objects, persons, and actions in a text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text. alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sound. alphabet
The letters of a language, arranged in the order fixed by custom. allusion
A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event--real or fictional. ambiguity
The presence of two or more possible meanings in any passage. ampersand
The character or sign (&) representing the word "and." amplification
General term for all of the ways that an argument, an explanation, or a description can be expanded and enriched. anadiplosis
Repetition of the last word of one line or clause to begin the next. anagram
A type of word play in which a word or phrase is formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. analogy
Reasoning or arguing from parallel cases. analysis
A form of expository writing in which the writer separates a subject into its elements or parts. anaphora
Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses. anecdote
A short account of an interesting or humorous incident, intended to illustrate or support some point. antanaclasis
One word used in two contrasting (and often comic) senses. anthimeria
The use of one part of speech for another. anticipation
General name for argumentative strategies whereby a speaker or writer foresees and replies to objections. anticlimax
An abrupt shift from a noble tone to a less exalted one--often for comic effect. antimetabole
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the words reversed. antirrhesis
Rejecting an argument because of its insignificance, error, or wickedness. antistasis
Repetition of a word in a different or a contrary sense. antithesis
Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. antonym
A word having a meaning opposite to that of another word. antonomasia
Substitution of a title, epithet, or descriptive phrase for a proper name (or of a personal name for a common name) to designate a member of a group or class. aphasia
Partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease. aphorism
(1) A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion. (2) A brief statement of a principle. apophasis
The mention of something in disclaiming intention of mentioning it--or pretending to deny what is really affirmed. aporia
The expression of real or simulated doubt or perplexity. aposiopesis
An unfinished thought or broken sentence. apostrophe
(1) Mark of punctuation used to indicate possessive case or omission of a letter. (2) Rhetorical term for breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing. apposition
Placing side-by-side two coordinate elements, the second of which serves as an explanation or modification of the first. appositive
A noun, noun phrase, or series of nouns used to identify or rename another noun, noun phrase, or pronoun. argument
A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood. arrangement
The parts of a speech or the structure of a text. article
A type of determiner that precedes a noun: "a," "an," and "the." artistic proofs
Proofs or means of persuasion taught specifically by the art of rhetoric. Asiatic
A prolix or highly ornamented style. Contrast with Attic. assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words. asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses (opposite of "polysyndeton"). Attic
Brief, witty, sometimes epigrammatic style--opposite of the ornate Asiatic style. auxesis
A gradual increase in intensity of meaning with words arranged in ascending order of force or importance. auxiliary verb
A verb used with a base verb to make a verb phrase. back-formation
The process of forming a new word (a neologism) by extracting actual or supposed affixes from another word; shortened words created from longer words. base form
The first- and second-person, singular, and the plural present-tense form of a verb. base verb
The principal verb in a verb phrase made with an auxiliary. bdelygmia
A litany of abuse--a series of critical epithets, descriptions, or attributes. blend
A word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two or more other words. See "portmanteau." boosting
An adverbial construction used to support a claim or express a viewpoint more assertively and convincingly. brainstorming
An invention and discovery strategy in which the writer collaborates with others to explore topics, develop ideas, or propose solutions to a problem. |
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