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Webster 1913 Edition

Ellipsis

El-lip′sis

(ĕl-lĭp′sĭs)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Ellipses
(ĕl-lĭp′sēz)
.
[L., fr. Gr.
ἔλλειψισ
a leaving, defect, fr.
ἐλλείπειν
to leave in, fall short;
ἐν
in +
λείπειν
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.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Ellipsis

ELLIP'SIS

,
Noun.
[Gr. an omission or defect, to leave or pass by.]
1.
In geometry, an oval figure generated from the section of a cone, by a plane cutting both sides of it, but not parallel to the base.
2.
In grammar, defect; omission; a figure of syntax, by which one or more words are omitted, which the hearer or reader may supply; as, the heroic virtues I admire,for the heroic virtues which I admire.

Definition 2024

ellipsis

ellipsis

English

Examples (grammar)
  • He is faster than she. (Here, a trailing “is fast” is omitted, grammatically required, and implied.)
  • She went home, so I did, too. (Did stands for “went home”.)

Noun

ellipsis ‎(plural ellipses)

  1. (typography) A mark consisting of three periods, historically with spaces in between, before, and after them “ . . . ”, nowadays a single character “…” Ellipses are used to indicate that words have been omitted in a text or that they are missing or illegible.
    • 2006, Danielle Corsetto, Girls with Slingshots: 114
      CARD: Hey Baby. Thanks for the … last night. Love you!
      HAZEL: Wow. I’ve never despised an ellipsis so much in my life.
  2. (grammar, rhetoric) The omission of a grammatically required word or phrase that can be inferred.
  3. (film) The omission of scenes in a film that do not advance the plot.
    • 2002, David Blanke, The 1910s: 219
      It was now possible for writers and directors to cut scenes that did not further the plot; called "ellipses" by filmmakers.

Synonyms

Translations

See also

Punctuation

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἔλλειψις ‎(élleipsis, “omission”)

Pronunciation

Noun

ellīpsis f ‎(genitive ellīpsis); third declension

  1. ellipsis
  2. ellipse

Inflection

Third declension i-stem.

Case Singular Plural
nominative ellīpsis ellīpsēs
genitive ellīpsis ellīpsium
dative ellīpsī ellīpsibus
accusative ellīpsem ellīpsēs
ablative ellīpse ellīpsibus
vocative ellīpsis ellīpsēs

Descendants

References

Etymology

From Latin ellipsis, from Ancient Greek ἔλλειψις ‎(élleipsis, “omission”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪˈlɪpsɪs/

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