Ecbole

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛkbəliː/

Definitions

1. A rhetorical form utilized to momentarily diverge from the main dialogue in order to insert a comment or clarification
2. A rhetorical device where the speaker temporarily breaks from the main discourse to offer an explanatory note
3. A figure of speech involving a brief departure from the central subject to provide additional commentary

Etymology: In Ancient Greek, "ekbolē" meant "a throwing out" or "a casting forth," and the word was used in rhetoric for a digression: a sudden swerve away from the main line of an argument, like a speaker tossing a thought out of the path before returning to it. The idea is physical at heart. The word is built from "ekballō," meaning "to throw out," which combines "ek," "out of," with "ballō," "to throw." English borrowed the term directly from Greek as a technical word for this rhetorical device. Its concrete sense of throwing or casting out stayed behind in the Greek, while the English word kept only the figure of the detour, a brief excursion that the speaker deliberately makes before getting back on course.