ellipsis Definition
- 1the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make a construction grammatically complete
- 2a set of three dots (โฆ) indicating an omission in a text
Using ellipsis: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "ellipsis" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
She said 'I am...' and trailed off, using an ellipsis to indicate her unfinished thought.
Example
The author used an ellipsis to show that some text had been omitted from the quote.
Example
In poetry, an ellipsis can be used to indicate a pause or hesitation.
ellipsis Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for ellipsis
Phrases with ellipsis
Example
In the sentence 'John likes pizza and Mary, hamburgers,' the verb 'likes' is omitted after 'Mary'.
Example
In the sentence 'Going to the movies tonight?', the subject 'Are you' is omitted.
Example
In the sentence 'I'll have coffee, please,' the object 'a cup of' is omitted.
Origins of ellipsis
from Greek 'elleipsis', meaning 'omission'
Summary: ellipsis in Brief
The term 'ellipsis' [ih-lip-sis] refers to the omission of one or more words that are understood but not explicitly stated, often indicated by a set of three dots. It can be used to indicate an unfinished thought, omitted text, or a pause in poetry. Ellipsis can also refer to the omission of the verb, subject, or object in a sentence where it is understood.
