Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Auxesis
‖
Aux-e′sis
,Noun.
[NL., Gr. [GREEK] increase, fr. [GREEK], [GREEK], to increase.]
(Rhet.)
A figure by which a grave and magnificent word is put for the proper word; amplification; hyperbole.
Webster 1828 Edition
Auxesis
AUXE'SIS
,Noun.
In rhetoric, a figure by which any thing is magnified too much; an increasing, or exornation, when, for amplification, a more grave and magnificent word is put for the proper word.
Definition 2024
auxesis
auxesis
English
Noun
auxesis (plural auxeses)
- (rhetoric) A rhetorical device whereby the subject matter is made greater, particularly
- (rhetoric) Overstatement, hyperbole.
- 1577, Henry Peacham, Garden of Eloquence:
- Avxesis, when we vse a greater word for a lesse, or thus, when the word is greater then the thing is in deede.
- 1577, Henry Peacham, Garden of Eloquence:
- (rhetoric, obsolete) Arrangement of a series in ascending order.
- (rhetoric) Overstatement, hyperbole.
- (biology) Biological growth, (now usually restricted to) expansion or growth of an organism apart from that due to cellular division.
- 1842, R. Dunglison, Medical Lexicon:
- Auxesis, augmentation, increase.
- 1940 November 9, Nature, 618/1:
- Botanists do still distinguish between auxesis or growth by expansion, and merisis or growth by cell-multiplication.
- 1842, R. Dunglison, Medical Lexicon:
Synonyms
- (rhetorical increase): amplification, amplificatio, (good) spin
- (overstatement): See hyperbole
- (ascending series): See climax
Antonyms
- (overstatement): See understatement
- (ascending series): See catacosmesis
- (biological): merisis
Derived terms
- auxetic
- auxetically
