Zeugma

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈzjuːɡ.mə/

Definitions

1. A rhetorical device involving the connection of different meanings of a single term within a sentence to convey a unified idea or effect
2. A linguistic technique where one word seamlessly applies to multiple elements in a phrase, each conveying a separate notion
3. A figure of speech where one word governs or modifies two or more words, although its use may be literal with one and figurative with another

Etymology: In Ancient Greek, "zeûgma" meant "yoking" or "a bond, a band," and the image is literal: a yoke that harnesses two animals so they pull together. The Greek verb "zeúgnumi" meant "to yoke" or "to join," and it shares its root with "zeûgos," "a yoke." Rhetoricians borrowed the word to describe a figure of speech in which one verb or adjective governs two parts of a sentence, yoked to both even though it fits only one of them grammatically. The classic illustration is "She broke his car and his heart," where "broke" serves both the car and the heart, each in a different sense. The Greek metaphor fits well: a single word is harnessed across two phrases, pulling them together into one sentence.

Synonyms: syllepsis