zeugma

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζεῦγμα (zeûgma, “yoking; a bond, a band”), from ζεύγνυμι (zeúgnumi, “to yoke; to join”), from ζεῦγος (zeûgos, “a yoke”).

Of these the boldest is to regard 'meoto' as a verb (imperative), and read 'on sæl': Think upon gayety, etc.--All the renderings are unsatisfactory, the one given in our translation involving a zeugma. — Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem, Unknown

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning