ellipsis

An ellipsis is a series of three consecutive periods known as ellipsis points ( . . . ) used to indicate where words have been omitted from quoted text, or (informally) to represent a pause, hesitation, or trailing-off in thought or speech.

ellipsis

a set of three dots indicating an omission in a text: A foolish . . . is the hobgoblin of little minds.

Not to be confused with:

eclipse – the obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer: lunar eclipse; solar eclipse; a sudden loss of importance in relation to a newly arrived person or thing: The status of the lead actress was eclipsed by a young ingénue in the film.

elapse – the passage or termination of a period of time: Eight hours have elapsed since we ate.

el·lip·sis

(ĭ-lĭp′sĭs)

n. pl. el·lip·ses (-sēz)

a. The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.

b. An example of such omission.

2. A mark or series of marks ( ... or * * * , for example) used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words.

[Latin ellīpsis, from Greek elleipsis, from elleipein, to fall short; see ellipse.]

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.

ellipsis

(ɪˈlɪpsɪs)

n, pl -ses (-siːz)

1. (Grammar) Also called: eclipsis omission of parts of a word or sentence

2. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a sequence of three dots (…) indicating an omission in text

[C16: from Latin, from Greek elleipsis omission, from elleipein to leave out, from leipein to leave]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

el•lip•sis

(ɪˈlɪp sɪs)

n., pl. -ses (-sēz).

1. the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words understandable from the context that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I've been to Paris but he hasn't.

2. a mark or marks, as - -, or …, or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words.

[1560–70; < Latin ellīpsis < Greek élleipsis falling short, ellipse, ellipsis =elleíp(ein) to fall short (el-, variant before l of en- en-² + leípein to leave) + -sis -sis]

ellipsis

A punctuation mark consisting of a series of periods (…) used to show that something has been omitted.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

ellipsis - omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences

eclipsis

deletion, omission - any process whereby sounds or words are left out of spoken words or phrases

Translations

trojtečkavýpustka

Ellipse

tripunkto

puntos suspensivos

ellipsisananheitto

points de suspensionellipse

trotočjetrotočka

ellissi segno d'omissione

ellips weglatingbeletseltekendoorlooppuntjes

многоточие опущение

ellipsis

[ɪˈlɪpsɪs] N (ellipses (pl)) [ɪˈlɪpsiːz] (= omission) → elipsis f inv; (= dots) → puntos mpl suspensivos

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ellipsis

[ɪˈlɪpsɪs] n (LINGUISTICS) → ellipse f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ellipsis

n pl <ellipses> (Gram) → Ellipse f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ellipsis

[ɪˈlɪpsɪs] (ellipses (pl)) [ɪˈlɪpsiːz] n (Gram) → ellissi f inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

At the two extremities of the port, in order that their fires should converge upon the great axis of the ellipsis formed by the basin, in the first place, two batteries had been raised, evidently destined to receive flank pieces, for D'Artagnan saw the workmen finishing the platform and making ready the demi-circumference in wood upon which the wheels of the pieces might turn to embrace every direction over the epaulement.

View in context

"I do; that is about the distance that separates your chamber from mine; only, unfortunately, I did not curve aright; for want of the necessary geometrical instruments to calculate my scale of proportion, instead of taking an ellipsis of forty feet, I made it fifty.

View in context

Philosophy teaches us that the atmos- phere will not retain lead; and two pounds of the metal, moulded into bullets of thirty to the pound, after describing an ellipsis in their journey, returned to the earth rattling among the branches of the trees directly over the heads of the troops stationed in the rear of their captain.

View in context

Beyonde, a company by customer strategy specialists Ellipsis, has been formed to help deliver "what's next" in customer experience.

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M2 EQUITYBITES-January 15, 2019-SimCorp announces Exane Group live on SimCorp Dimension for Derivatives business and Ellipsis Asset Management

SimCorp announces Exane Group live on SimCorp Dimension for Derivatives business and Ellipsis Asset Management

The typographical ellipsis and the dash represent and indeed constitute gaps at the micro-level of writing.

"No need of words": Joseph Conrad's use of the typographical ellipsis in Under Western Eyes and "The Secret Sharer"

"I was using the adverb derived from the Greek term "ellipsis', meaning the omission of a word or word to be understood by the person whom one is addressing.

Unconditionally amusing..

Also recommended from Ellipsis Press is "Shadowplay"(9780963753632, $13.00), following a shadow-puppet theater performer and his fruitless desires for a woman watching his show.

The Mothering Coven

Ellipsis at 61.5 kHz has a 1.8 time larger major semiaxis and bigger area then at 29.9 kHz.

Study of resonant vibrations shapes of the beam type piezoelectric actuator with preloaded mass/Strypinio pjezoelektrinio keitiklio su papildoma mase rezonansiniu virpesiu formu tyrimas

* ellipsis (...) In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces, as shown here.

The new Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law: out with victrola and malarkey, in with bird flu and hang-up

It has been demonstrated that ellipsis sites (orphans) are interpreted relative to their antecedents (cf.

Resolution of ellipsis: evidence from Old English sluicing (1)

But those ellipsis points represent 22 words that the writer packed between his subject and his verb.

An element of style: upon the retirement of longtime CW wordsmithing columnist Alden Wood, we look back on some of the words and rules we learned