ellipsis

[ ih-lip-sis ]

/ ɪˈlɪp sɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ellipsis ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural el·lip·ses [ih-lip-seez] /ɪˈlɪp siz/.

Grammar.

the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of who are, while I am, or while we are from I like to interview people sitting down.
the omission of one or more items from a construction in order to avoid repeating the identical or equivalent items that are in a preceding or following construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I've been to Paris, but they haven't.

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

Nearby words

ellington, ellington, duke, elliot's operation, elliott, ellipse, ellipsis, ellipsograph, ellipsoid, ellipsoid of revolution, ellipsoidal, ellipsoidal joint

Origin of ellipsis

1560–70; < Latin ellīpsis < Greek élleipsis an omission, equivalent to el- (variant of en- en-²) + leip- (stem of leípein to leave) + -sis -sis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ellipsis

But I noticed that when you quoted this section on page 116, you left “general welfare” out and put an ellipsis in its place.
Rick Perry on the Record|Andrew Romano|August 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The Commentator has enabled us to supply the ellipsis, but he does not fully explain the author's meaning.
Hindu Law and Judicature|Yjnavalkya
The next group of four periods is composed of three periods for the ellipsis and one period for the end-mark of the sentence.
Why We Punctuate|William Livingston Klein
The Circle squared; together with the Ellipsis and several reflections on it.
A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume I (of II)|Augustus De Morgan

The ellipsis may be supplied thus; co e am fear a ta thu ciallachadh?
Elements of Gaelic Grammar|Alexander Stewart
The ellipsis is somewhat peculiar from the fact that the relative is expressed in the next line.
Shakespeare's Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet|William Shakespeare

British Dictionary definitions for ellipsis

ellipsis

/ (ɪˈlɪpsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

Also called: eclipsis omission of parts of a word or sentence

printing a sequence of three dots (…) indicating an omission in text

Word Origin for ellipsis

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for ellipsis

ellipsis

[ (i-lip-sis) ]

A punctuation mark (...) used most often within quotations to indicate that something has been left out. For example, if we leave out parts of the above definition, it can read: “A punctuation mark (...) used most often ... to indicate....”