Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Catachresis

This time it's a real word, but one that some might use to describe what I do to words, as in this glossary. It's the word of the day from dictionary.com.

catachresis \kat-uh-KREE-sis\, noun:

Misuse or strained use of words, as in a mixed metaphor, occurring either in error or for rhetorical effect. Catachresis is derived from the Greek root chrêsis which meant "to use." The prefix cata- means "down, back, against." The word katachrêsthai meant "to misuse" in Greek.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.