Ellipsis

Ellipsis
Ellipsis El*lip"sis ([e^]l*l[i^]p"s[i^]s), n.; pl. {Ellipses} ([e^]l*l[i^]p"s[=e]z). [L., fr. Gr. 'e`lleipsis a leaving, defect, fr. 'ellei`pein to leave in, fall short; 'en in + lei`pein to leave. See {In}, and {Loan}, and cf. {Ellipse}.] 1. (Gram.) Omission; a figure of syntax, by which one or more words, which are obviously understood, are omitted; as, the virtues I admire, for, the virtues which I admire. [1913 Webster]

2. (Geom.) An ellipse. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

3. (Printing) a printing symbol, usually three periods in a row (. . .), indicating the omission of some part of a text; -- used commonly in quotations, so as to suppress words not essential to the meaning. A long dash (---) and three asterisks (* * *) are sometimes used with the same meaning. [PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • ellipsis — 1. meaning. Ellipsis is the omission from a sentence of words which are normally needed to complete the grammatical construction or meaning. It occurs most often in everyday speech, in expressions such as Told you so (= I told you so) and Sounds… …   Modern English usage

  • ellipsis — 1560s, an ellipse, 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 (Cf. relinquish)). Grammatical sense first recorded 1610s …   Etymology dictionary

  • ellipsis — [e lip′sis, ilip′sis] n. pl. ellipses [i lip′sēz΄, ə lip′sēz΄] [L < Gr elleipsis: see ELLIPSE] 1. Gram. the omission of a word or words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context (Ex.: “if possible” for “if… …   English World dictionary

  • ellipsis — ► NOUN (pl. ellipses) 1) the omission of words from speech or writing. 2) a set of dots indicating such an omission. ORIGIN Greek elleipsis, from elleipein leave out …   English terms dictionary

  • Ellipsis — For other uses, see Ellipsis (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Ellipse. … Ellipsis …   Wikipedia

  • ellipsis —  An ellipsis (sometimes called an ellipse) is used to indicate that material has been omitted. It consists of three evenly spaced periods (...) and not, as some writers think, a random scattering of them. When an ellipsis occurs at the end of a… …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • ellipsis —    An ellipsis (sometimes called an ellipse) is used to indicate that material has been omitted. It consists of three periods (...) and not, as some writers think, a random scattering of them. When an ellipsis occurs at the end of a sentence, a… …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • ellipsis — UK [ɪˈlɪpsɪs] / US noun [uncountable] Word forms ellipsis : singular ellipsis plural ellipses UK [ɪˈlɪpsiːz] / US [ɪˈlɪpˌsɪz] linguistics the practice of leaving a word or words out of a sentence when they are not necessary for understanding it …   English dictionary

  • ellipsis — el•lip•sis [[t]ɪˈlɪp sɪs[/t]] n. pl. ses ( sēz). 1) oce gram. gram. the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words understandable from the context that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of been… …   From formal English to slang

  • ellipsis — noun (plural ellipses) Etymology: Latin, from Greek elleipsis ellipsis, ellipse, from elleipein to leave out, fall short, from en in + leipein to leave more at in, loan Date: 1540 1. a. the omission of one or more words that are obviously… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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