| You are here: | About>Education>Grammar & Composition> Grammar & Rhetoric Glossary> Main Clause - Oxymoron |
 | Grammar & Composition |
Main Clause - OxymoronA glossary of grammatical and rhetorical terms, from MAIN CLAUSE to OXYMORON. Click on a term for definitions, examples, word history, pronunciation guide, and links to related articles.
main clause
A group of words made up of a subject and a predicate. A main clause (unlike a dependent clause) can stand alone as a sentence. malapropism
Absurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound. meiosis
To belittle, use a degrading epithet, often through a trope of one word; rhetorical understatement. memory
One of the traditional five parts or canons of rhetoric, that which considers methods and devices to aid and improve the memory. metaphor
An implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in common. metonymy
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (such as "crown" for "royalty"). misplaced modifier
Words, phrases, or clauses that do not clearly relate to the word they are intended to modify. mixed metaphor
A succession of incongruous or ludicrous comparisons. modifier
A word, phrase, or clause that functions as an adjective or adverb to limit or qualify the meaning of another word or word group. mondegreen
Words that result from the mishearing or misinterpretation of a statement or song lyric. mood
The quality of a verb that conveys the writer's attitude toward a subject. morpheme
A meaningful linguistic unit (a word or a word element) that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts. narratio
The part of an argument in which a speaker or writer provides a narrative account of what has happened and explains the nature of the case. narrative
A rhetorical strategy that recounts a sequence of events, usually in chronological order. neologism
A newly coined word, expression, or usage that is not yet commonly used. noun
The part of speech used to name a person, place, thing, quality, or action. object
A noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives or is affected by the action of a verb within a sentence. objective case
The case or function of a pronoun when it is the direct or indirect object of a verb or verbal, the object of a preposition, the subject of an infinitive, or an appositive to an object. object of a preposition
A noun or a pronoun that follows a preposition and completes its meaning. onomatopoeia
The formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. oxymoron
A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side. |
|
All Topics | Email Article | |  |  |
| Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | Help | Our Story | Be a Guide |
| User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | ©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. |