Open Dictionary
Join now
mouse here to listen, click to choose/add more
Location: USA
Source: Learn That Word
Profile URL: www.learnthat.org
play again like it has problem

Are you a native English speaker? How do you pronounce this word?

Thank you for contributing!
upload mp3 file or record now it's easy, promised!

{%type%} Definitions

WordNet 3.0Copyright Princeton University
{%wordnet%}
Definitions.net
{%definitions_com%}

Videos

Click here to upload you own video for this word!
Short "hint"

Plural of: The use of an unnecessarily long or roundabout form of expression; Circumlocution.

edit
Usage examples (35)
  • He that hath complex ideas without names for them, wants liberty and dispatch in his expressions, and is necessitated to use periphrases.
  • This feature of the song serves to explain its inordinate length, for a song may occupy the greater part of a night, apparently without tiring the audience by its verbose...
  • Thus, if we are writing about Charles II., it would be in very bad taste to avoid repeating "he" by using such periphrases as the following: "The third of the Stewarts...
  • Why conceal his weaknesses in a cloud of periphrases?
...click for more
Tutoring comment


Tutoring comment not yet available...

add more
wordnik merriam-webster
The Open Dictionary of English is a collaborative project, based on Open Source materials, LearnThat resources, and partner APIs.
We give special thanks to our LearnThat volunteers, as well as Princeton University and Wiktionary for their Open Source word data. We're also grateful for the support given by Google, Wordnik.com, Dictionary.com, Stands4.com and YouTube, OEDILF.com, Kylescholz.com, Best-Practice.com, Forvo.com, as well as the generous Creative Commons community.

LearnThatWord and the Open Dictionary of English are programs by LearnThat Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Questions? Feedback? We want to hear from you!
Email us or click here for instant support.

Copyright © 2005 and after - LearnThat Foundation. Patents pending.