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tmesis

[ tuh-mee-sis ]
/ təˈmi sɪs /
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noun
the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word, as be thou ware for beware.
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Origin of tmesis

First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin tmēsis, from Greek tmêsis “a cutting,” equivalent to tmē- (variant stem of témnein “to cut”) + -sis -sis

OTHER WORDS FROM tmesis

tmet·ic [tuh-met-ik], /təˈmɛt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby tmesis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tmesis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tmesis

tmesis
/ (təˈmiːsɪs, ˈmiːsɪs) /

noun
interpolation of a word or group of words between the parts of a compound word

Word Origin for tmesis

C16: via Latin from Greek, literally: a cutting, from temnein to cut
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
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