Daffynition - Dysphemism

A daffynition is a playful reinterpretation of an existing word--usually a pun.

A word or phrase (commonly a participle or a participial phrase) that modifies a word that does not appear in the sentence.

A mark of punctuation (--), technically known as an "em dash," used to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause or to set off words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence.

In the Toulmin model of argument, the evidence or specific information that supports a claim.

A figure of speech that has lost its force and imaginative effectiveness through constant use.

(1) A discussion involving opposing claims; an argument. (2) A regulated contest or discussion in which two opposing sides defend and attack a proposition.

A formal speech, one of the traditional rhetorical exercises practiced in the schools of ancient Greece and Rome.

A yes-no question that has the form of a declarative sentence but is spoken with rising intonation at the end.

A sentence that makes a statement.

In classical rhetoric, the use of a style that is appropriate to a subject, situation, speaker, or audience.

A method of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises.

Deep reading is the active process of thoughtful and deliberate reading carried out to enhance one's comprehension and enjoyment of a text.

In transformational grammar, the underlying syntactic structure (or level) of a sentence.

The definite article "the" refers to particular nouns.

A statement of the meaning of a word or phrase. As a method of exposition, a definition may be brief or extended, part of an essay or an entire essay itself.

One of the forms used in the comparison of adjectives and adverbs.

A word that can precede adjectives and adverbs to indicate the degree to which they apply.

Dissuasive advice given with authority.

A word that points to the time, place, or situation in which the speaker is speaking.

Speech or writing that attempts to persuade an audience to take (or not to take) some action.

One of the five traditional parts or canons of rhetoric, concerned with control of voice and gestures.

A name for the people who live in a particular place.

An adjective or pronoun that points to a particular noun or to the noun it replaces.

See "demonstrative"

See "demonstrative"

See epideictic: persuasion that deals with values that bring a group together; the rhetoric of ceremony, commemoration, declamation, demonstration, play, and display.

A denominal verb is a verb formed directly from a noun.

The direct or dictionary meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.

In a narrative, the event or events following the climax; the resolution or clarification of the plot.

A group of words that begins with a relative pronoun or a subordinating conjunction.

The process of creating a new word out of one or more old words, either by adding a prefix or suffix or by compounding.

A rhetorical strategy using details perceivable by the senses to portray a person, place, or object.

An objective, nonjudgmental description of the major grammatical constructions in a language.

A nonjudgmental approach to language that focuses on how it is actually spoken and written.

In composition, a particular item of information (including descriptive, illustrative, and statistical information) that supports an idea or contributes to an overall impression in an essay, report, or other kind of text or presentation.

A word or a group of words that introduces a noun.

In composition, the process of adding informative and illustrative details to support the main idea in a paragraph or essay.

The study of a language through different periods in history.

Repetition broken up by one or more intervening words.

In phonetics, a symbol added to a letter that alters its sense, function, or pronunciation.

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

The practice of arriving at a conclusion by the exchange of logical arguments, usually in the form of questions and answers.

Dialect interference is the hypothesis that specific features of a spoken dialect are transferred to the reading and writing of texts.

Dialectology is the scientific study of dialects, or the regional differences in a language.

A conversation between two or more people in a drama or narrative.

Phrase used to identify the speaker of directly quoted words.

A personal record of events, experiences, thoughts, and observations.

Recommending useful precepts or advice to someone else.

(1) Choice and use of words in speech or writing. (2) A way of speaking, usually assessed in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution.

A dictionary is a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words, with information (including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology) given for each word.

A fallacy in which a general rule is treated as universally true regardless of the circumstances: a sweeping generalization.

Intended or inclined to teach or instruct, often excessively.

In sociolinguistics, diglossia is a situation in which two distinct varieties of a language are spoken within the same speech community.

Two successive letters that represent a single sound.

The act of departing from the main subject in speech or writing to discuss an apparently unrelated topic.

A diminutive is a word form or suffix that indicates smallness.

In phonetics, a vowel in which there is a noticeable sound change within the same syllable.

A construction in which a speaker or writer directly addresses another individual; also, the name of the individual who is addressed.

In speech and writing, the quality of being straightforward and concise: stating a main point early and clearly without needless embellishments or digressions.

A noun or pronoun in a sentence that receives the action of a transitive verb.

A sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark.

A report of the exact words of an author or speaker.

Direct speech is a report of the exact words used by a speaker or writer.

(1) In linguistics, a unit of language longer than a single sentence. (2) More broadly, the use of spoken or written language in a social context.

The study of the ways in which language is used in texts and contexts.

A term used in composition studies and sociolinguistics for a group of people who share certain language-using practices.

In sociolinguistics, features or conventions of language use determined by the context in which communication takes place.

A particle that is used in conversation to make discourse more coherent but that generally adds little to the paraphrasable meaning of an utterance.

Techniques for generating and developing ideas.

(1) A type of sentence adverb that comments on the content or manner of what is being said or written. (2) Any of two or more items connected by a disjunctive conjunction ("or").

A coordinate construction that uses a disjunctive conjunction (usually "or" or "either . . . or") to indicate a contrast.

A question to which the questioner already knows the answer.

In classical rhetoric and literature, a disputation is a formal argument or debate.

A general term in phonetics for the process by which two neighboring sounds become less alike.

Dissimulatio is a rhetorical term for pretended ignorance, tact, or strategic dissimulation: a form of irony.

In classical rhetoric, the concept of opposing arguments, a cornerstone of Sophistic ideology and method.

Explicit references to various meanings of a word--usually for the purpose of removing ambiguities.

The deliberate misspelling (or a non-standard alternative spelling) of a word.

In classical rhetoric, division (or partitio) is the part of a speech in which an orator outlines the key points and overall structure of a speech.

Documentation is the process of providing evidence (including both primary and secondary sources) in a research paper.

The use of both "more" and the suffix "-er" to indicate the comparative form of an adjective or adverb.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase can be understood in two ways, especially when one meaning is risqué.

The double genitive is a phrase in which possession is indicated by the preposition "of" followed by the possessive form of a noun or pronoun.

(1) A nonstandard form using two negatives where only one is necessary. (2) A standard form using two negatives to express a positive.

Language intended to disguise, distort, or obscure its actual meaning.

The use of both "most" and the suffix "-est" to indicate the superlative form of an adjective or adverb.

In linguistics, doublets are two distinct words derived from the same source but by different routes of transmission.

A degree adverb that decreases the effect of a modified item.

In classical rhetoric, the domain of opinion, belief, or probable knowledge--in contrast to "episteme," the domain of certainty.

The dozens is a game of put-downs: the rapid, ritualistic exchange of insults, often targeting family members.

A version of a piece of writing, often an early version (a "rough draft") in need of revision and editing.

A stage of the writing process during which a writer organizes information and ideas into sentences and paragraphs.

An occasion in a play, film, or other creative work in which the words or actions of a character convey a meaning unperceived by the character but understood by the audience.

A metaphor introduced by the 20th-century rhetorician Kenneth Burke to describe his critical method, which includes study of the various relations (ratios) among the five qualities that comprise the pentad.

Speech that is characterized by drawn-out vowels and syllables.

A rhetorical term for the expression of doubt or uncertainty. The doubt that is expressed may be genuine or feigned.

Any one of the varieties of the English language used in Dublin, Ireland.

A word that has a grammatical function but no specific lexical meaning.

A verb used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation as opposed to a state.

Speech that is not smoothly delivered or grammatically well formed.

Substitution of a more offensive or disparaging word or phrase for one considered less offensive.