circumlocution
nounEtymology
From Latin circumlocūtiō (“the act of speaking around; circumlocution, periphrasis”). By surface analysis, circum- (“around”) + locution (“talk”), thus "getting around (a problem) in speaking or writing". Probably a calque of Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).
Definitions
A roundabout or indirect way of speaking
A roundabout or indirect way of speaking; thus
- Circumlocution is a large deſcription either to ſette forth a thyng more gorgiouſlie, or els to hyde it, if the eares cannot beare the open ſpeakyng: or when with fewe woordes we cannot open our meanyng, to ſpeake it more largely.
- His Majeſty leaves the choice to your ſelf, and requires from you a direct Anſwer without circumlocution or bargaining with him […]
An instance of such usage
An instance of such usage; a roundabout expression, whether an inadvisable one or a necessary one.
The neighborhood
- synonymambages
- synonymperiphrasis
- neighborpleonasm
- neighborbeat around the bush
- neighborgo around the houses
- neighboreuphemism
- neighbormince words
- neighbormince matters
- neighborequivocation
- neighborevasive
- neighborprevarication
- neighborhedge
- neighborwaffle
Vish — recursive loop
A definitional loop anchored at circumlocution. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.
A definitional loop anchored at circumlocution. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.
7 hops · closes at circumlocution
curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA