merism
English
editExamples (polar extremes) |
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heaven and earth (the universe) |
Etymology
editFrom Ancient Greek μερισμός (merismós). Compare μέρος (méros, “part”).
Examples (list of parts) |
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lock, stock, and barrel (the whole gun) |
Pronunciation
editNoun
editmerism (countable and uncountable, plural merisms)
- (literature, rhetoric) A reference to something by its polar extremes, as in "we searched high and low".
- (literature, rhetoric) A reference to something by a list of its parts.