epistrophe
|e-pis-tro-phe|
/əˈpɪstrəfi/
turning back; repetition at the end
Etymology
'epistrophe' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'epistrophē', where the prefix 'epi-' meant 'upon' or 'toward' and 'strophē' meant 'a turning'.
'epistrophe' came into English via Medieval Latin/late Latin from Greek 'epistrophē' and entered modern English usage as the term 'epistrophe' primarily in rhetorical contexts.
Initially it meant 'a turning back' or 'return' in Greek, but over time the term came to be used chiefly for the rhetorical device meaning 'repetition at the end of successive clauses'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rhetorical device in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses, sentences, or lines (also called epiphora).
The speech used epistrophe effectively: each paragraph ended with the phrase ‘for the people.’
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/24 16:00