epizeugma

E1P3I1Z10E1U1G2M3A1

noun

A type of zeugma in which a single verb governs two or more clauses or phrases, placed either at the very beginning or the very end of the sentence.

OriginAncient Greek ἐπίζευγμα (epízeugma) ← Proto-Indo-European *yewg- ← Proto-Hellenic *epí →
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Meanings

nounepizeugma (uncountable)

alternative epizeugmenon

  1. rhetoricuncountableA type of zeugma in which a single verb governs two or more clauses or phrases, placed either at the very beginning or the very end of the sentence.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
  4. Proto-Hellenic*epí
  5. Ancient Greekἐπί (epí)
  6. Proto-Indo-European*yewg-
  7. Ancient Greekζεύγνῡμι (zeúgnūmi)
  8. Ancient Greekζεῦγμα (zeûgma)
  9. Ancient Greekἐπίζευγμα (epízeugma)
  10. Englishepizeugma

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐπίζευγμα (epízeugma), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + ζεῦγμα (zeûgma, “yoke, bond”).

More words from Ancient Greek

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Cite this entry
APA

epizeugma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epizeugma

MLA

“epizeugma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epizeugma. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epizeugma,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epizeugma.

Source: epizeugma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.