hapax legomenon
[ hap-aks li-gom-uh-non, hey-paks ]
/ ˈhæp æks lɪˈgɒm əˌnɒn, ˈheɪ pæks /
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noun, plural hap·ax le·go·me·na [hap-aks li-gom-uh-nuh, hey-paks]. /ˈhæp æks lɪˈgɒm ə nə, ˈheɪ pæks/.
a word or phrase that appears only once in a manuscript, document, or particular area of literature.
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Origin of hapax legomenon
First recorded in 1880–85, hapax legomenon is from Greek hápax legómenon “(thing) once said”
Words nearby hapax legomenon
haori, hap, hapa, hapai, hapaxanthic, hapax legomenon, ha'penny, haphalgesia, haphazard, haphazardly, haphazardry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use hapax legomenon in a sentence
It is the commonest word in the lexicon, yet it always reads as a hapax legomenon.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
British Dictionary definitions for hapax legomenon
hapax legomenon
/ (ˈhæpæks ləˈɡɒmɪˌnɒn) /
noun plural hapax legomena (ləˈɡɒmɪnə)
another term for nonce word
Word Origin for hapax legomenon
Greek: thing said only once
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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