Ellipsis Definition

Refers to any omitted part of speech that is understood; i.e. the omission is intentional. Analogously, in printing and writing, the term refers to the row of three dots (...) or asterisks (* * *) indicating such an intentional omission.

Ellipsis Poem Example

"Four years later…,"

[n] omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences

Synonyms

eclipsis

See Also...

deletion, omission

Related Terms

abbreviation, abridgment, abstract, apocope, aposiopesis, clipping, compression, condensation, conspectus, contraction, crasis, curtailment, cutting, elision, epitome, foreshortening, precis, pruning, recap, recapitulation, reduction, retrenchment, shorte

Misc. Definitions

\El*lip"sis\, n.; pl. {Ellipses}. [L., fr. Gr. ? a leaving, defect, fr. ? to leave in fall short; ? in + ? 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.
2. (Geom.) An ellipse. [Obs.]