chiasmus

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: chi=as=mus

CIDE DICTIONARY

chiasmus, n. [NL., fr. Gr. chiasmo`s a placing crosswise, fr. chia`zein. See Chiasm.].

 An inversion of the order of words or phrases, when repeated or subsequently referred to in a sentence  [1913 Webster]
"If e'er to bless thy sons
My voice or hands deny,
These hands let useful skill forsake,
This voice in silence die."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

chiasmus, n. inversion in the second of two parallel phrases of the order followed in the first (e.g. to stop too fearful and too faint to go).

Derivative

chiastic adj.

Etymology

mod.L f. Gk khiasmos crosswise arrangement f. khiazo mark with letter CHI