Word Study
synalepha
CIDE DICTIONARY
synalepha, n. [NL., fr. L. synaloepha, Gr. , from to melt together; sy`n with + to besmear.].
A contraction of syllables by suppressing some vowel or diphthong at the end of a word, before another vowel or diphthong; as, th' army, for the army. [1913 Webster]
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