Parenthesis

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pa=ren=the=sis

CIDE DICTIONARY

Parenthesis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. pare`nqesis, fr. parentiqe`nai to put in beside, insert; para` beside + 'en in + tiqe`nai to put, place. See Para-, En-, 2, and Thesis.].

•  A word, phrase, or sentence, by way of comment or explanation, inserted in, or attached to, a sentence which would be grammatically complete without it. It is usually inclosed within curved lines (see def. 2 below), or dashes.  Sir T. Browne.  [1913 Webster]

  "Don't suffer every occasional thought to carry you away into a long parenthesis."  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the curved lines () which inclose a parenthetic word or phrase.  [1913 Webster]

  " Parenthesis, in technical grammar, is that part of a sentence which is inclosed within the recognized sign; but many phrases and sentences which are punctuated by commas are logically parenthetical. In def. 1, the phrase “by way of comment or explanation” is inserted for explanation, and the sentence would be grammatically complete without it. The present tendency is to avoid using the distinctive marks, except when confusion would arise from a less conspicuous separation."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Parenthesis, n. (pl. parentheses)
1 a a word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, and usu. marked off by brackets or dashes or commas. b (in pl.) a pair of round brackets () used for this.
2 an interlude or interval.

Idiom

in parenthesis as a parenthesis or afterthought.

Etymology

LL f. Gk parenthesis f. parentithemi put in beside

THESAURUS

Parenthesis

anastrophe, aside, broken thread, brokenness, chiasmus, disconnectedness, disconnection, discontinuance, discontinuation, discontinuity, discontinuousness, discreteness, disjunction, episode, fitfulness, hypallage, hyperbaton, hysteron proteron, incoherence, incompleteness, infix, injection, insert, insertion, insinuation, intercalation, interjection, interlineation, interlocution, intermittence, interpolation, introduction, irregularity, metastasis, metathesis, non sequitur, noncontinuance, nonlinearity, nonseriality, nonuniformity, obiter dictum, palindrome, remark, side remark, synchysis, tmesis, tossing-in

ROGET THESAURUS

Parenthesis

Discontinuity

N discontinuity, disjunction, anacoluthon, interruption, break, fracture, flaw, fault, crack, cut, gap, solution of continuity, caesura, broken thread, parenthesis, episode, rhapsody, patchwork, intermission, alternation, dropping fire, discontinuous, unsuccessive, broken, interrupted, dicousu, disconnected, unconnected, discrete, disjunctive, fitful, spasmodic, desultory, intermitting, occasional, intermittent, alternate, recurrent, at intervals, by snatches, by jerks, by skips, by catches, by fits and starts, skippingly, per saltum, longo intervallo, like 'angel visits few and far between'.

Interval

N interval, interspace, separation, break, gap, opening, hole, chasm, hiatus, caesura, interruption, interregnum, interstice, lacuna, cleft, mesh, crevice, chink, rime, creek, cranny, crack, chap, slit, fissure, scissure, rift, flaw, breach, rent, gash, cut, leak, dike, ha-ha, gorge, defile, ravine, canon, crevasse, abyss, abysm, gulf, inlet, frith, strait, gully, pass, furrow, abra, barranca, barranco, clove, gulch, notch, yawning gulf, hiatus maxime, hiatus valde deflendus, parenthesis, void, incompleteness, period, interim (time), with an interval, far between, breachy, rimose, rimulose, at intervals, longo intervallo.

Inversion

N inversion, eversion, subversion, reversion, retroversion, introversion, contraposition, contrariety, reversal, turn of the tide, overturn, somersault, somerset, summerset, culbute, revulsion, pirouette, transposition, transposal, anastrophy, metastasis, hyperbaton, anastrophe, hysteron proteron, hypallage, synchysis, tmesis, parenthesis, metathesis, palindrome, pronation and supination, inverted, wrong side out, wrong side up, inside out, upside down, bottom upwards, keel upwards, supine, on one's head, topsy-turvy, sens dessus dessous, inverse, reverse, opposite, top heavy, inversely, hirdy-girdy, heels over head, head over heels.

Interposition

N interposition, interjacence, intercurrence, intervenience, interlocation, interdigitation, interjection, interpolation, interlineation, interspersion, intercalation, interpenetration, permeation, infiltration, intervention, interference, intrusion, obtrusion, insinuation, insertion, dovetailing, embolism, intermediary, intermedium, go between, bodkin, intruder, interloper, parenthesis, episode, flyleaf, partition, septum, diaphragm, midriff, dissepiment, party wall, panel, room divider, halfway house, interjacent, intercurrent, intervenient, intervening, intermediate, intermediary, intercalary, interstitial, embolismal, parenthetical, episodic, mediterranean, intrusive, embosomed, merged, between, betwixt, twixt, among, amongst, amid, amidst, mid, midst, in the thick of, betwixt and between, sandwich-wise, parenthetically, obiter dictum.