[identity profile] sea-gaagii.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
zeug·ma [ zoogmə ] (plural zeug·mas)
noun
Definition:
A figure of speech in which an adjective or verb is used with two nouns but is appropriate to only one of them or has a different sense with each, as in "During the race he broke the record and his leg"

[Late 16th century. Via Latin < Greek, "joining"]

zeugma. Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2009 Microsoft Corporation. http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/zeugma.html (accessed: July 24, 2009).

Example zeugma:
Bob used to be a circus clown. Until one day he just refused to perform the spectacular finalé. That day he was not fired from the cannon, but from his job.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-25 12:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] who-is-she.livejournal.com
Awesome! dude you rock!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-25 01:37 pm (UTC)
ext_403307: (Default)
From: [identity profile] shout-of-joy.livejournal.com
Great word!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-26 03:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thorintatge.livejournal.com
What a nifty, strange word this is!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-27 02:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] prettygoodword.livejournal.com
I've never heard of the "appropriate with only one" part -- most rhetoric guides just mention the "with a different sense with each" part. Huh.

(Also, it's not necessarily verb or adjective, but those are the most easy to use given English syntax.)

---L.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-28 02:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] draggingtime.livejournal.com
I love this one! Good job!
Page generated Jul. 4th, 2025 11:51 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios