am·phi·bol·o·gy
(ăm′fə-bŏl′ə-jē)n. pl. am·phi·bol·o·gies An ambiguous or equivocal statement.
[French amphibologie, from Late Latin amphibologia : Latin amphibo(lia), ambiguity (from Greek amphiboliā, from amphibolos, doubtful; see amphibole) + Latin -logia, -logy (added on the model of such words as tautologia, tautology).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
amphibology
(ˌæmfɪˈbɒlədʒɪ) or amphiboly
n,
pl -gies or -lies (Logic) ambiguity of expression, esp when due to a grammatical construction, as in save rags and waste paper
[C14: from Late Latin amphibologia, ultimately from Greek amphibolos ambiguous; see amphibole, -logy]
ˌamphiˈbolic, amphibolous adj
amphibological adj
amˌphiboˈlogically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
am•phib•o•ly
(æmˈfɪb ə li)
n., pl. -lies. ambiguity of speech, esp. from uncertainty of the grammatical construction rather than of the meaning of the words, as in The Duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.
[1580–90; < Latin
amphibolia < Greek, =
amphíbol(os) ambiguous, n. derivative of
amphibállein to throw round, be in dispute +
-ia -y3]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
amphibology
1. an ambiguity of language.
2. a word, phrase, or sentence that can be interpreted variously because of uncertainty of grammatical construction rather than ambiguity of the words used, as “John met his father when he was sick.” Also amphibologism, amphiboly. — amphibological, amphibolous, adj.
See also: Grammar-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.