ellipsis
|e-lip-sis|
/ɪˈlɪpsɪs/
omission; leaving out
Etymology
'ellipsis' originates from Late Latin 'ellipsis', ultimately from Greek ἔλλειψις (elleipsis), where the verb ἐλλείπω (elleipō) meant 'to fall short, leave out'.
'ellipsis' passed from Greek ἔλλειψις into Late Latin as 'ellipsis' and then entered English (via Medieval/early modern scholarship and translations) with the meaning of 'omission' or 'falling short'.
Initially it meant 'a falling short' or 'omission' in a general sense; over time it came to be used specifically for the punctuation mark '...' and for the linguistic/rhetorical device of omitting words or trailing off.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the omission of words from a sentence when those words can be understood from context.
The editor used an ellipsis to omit parts of the quote that were irrelevant.
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Noun 2
the punctuation mark consisting of three dots (...) used to indicate an omission or a pause.
When quoting long text, writers often insert an ellipsis to show omitted material.
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Noun 3
a trailing off in speech or writing, leaving a thought unfinished or implying more to come.
Her sentence ended with an ellipsis, suggesting she didn't want to say more.
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Last updated: 2025/08/16 09:01