Dendographia (den-do-graf’-i-a): Creating an illusion of reality through vivid description of a tree.
The hillside was clearcut, except for one wounded fir tree wobbling in the wind; slowly dying in the bleak twisted mess that used to be a forest.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Apodioxis (ap-o-di-ox’-is): Rejecting of someone or something (such as the adversary’s argument) as being impertinent, needless, absurd, false, or wicked.
What? We need another 40″ TV? Where are we going to put it? In the garage? We already have four TVs. We do not need another one! Forget about it.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
Asteismus (as-te-is’-mus): Polite or genteel mockery. More specifically, a figure of reply in which the answerer catches a certain word and throws it back to the first speaker with an unexpected twist. Less frequently, a witty use of allegory or comparison, such as when a literal and an allegorical meaning are both implied.
Marlin: When are you going to give me a break?
Pat: When you break out of your slump and give me something to shout out about! You can do it!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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Tagged asteismus, elocutio, figures of speech, rhetoric, The Daily Trope
Sarcasmus (sar-kaz-mus): Use of mockery, verbal taunts, or bitter irony.
Hey, New York–don’t let the bedbugs bite!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
Onomatopoeia (on-o-mat-o-pee’-a): Using or inventing a word whose sound imitates that which it names (the union of phonetics and semantics).
I was nearly hypnotized by the windshield wipers’ scrooch-whap, scrooch-whap, scrooch-whap.
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)
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