auxesis
nounEtymology From Ancient Greek αὔξησις (aúxēsis, “growth”), from αὐξάνω (auxánō, “to grow”).
› A rhetorical device whereby the subject…
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Rhetoric Overstatement, hyperbole.
- 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:
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Biology, Natural sciences Biological growth, (now usually restricted to) expansion or growth of an organism apart from that due to cellular division.
- Auxesis, augmentation, increase.1842, R. Dunglison, Medical Lexicon:
- Botanists do still distinguish between auxesis or growth by expansion, and merisis or growth by cell-multiplication.1940 November 9, Nature, 618/1
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Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences The condition of being auxetic
- Synonyms
- amplification, amplificatio, spin, hyperbole, climax
- Antonyms
- antonym(s) of, catacosmesis, merisis
- Derived terms
- auxetic, auxetically
- Related terms
- tachyauxesis, heterauxesis, pleonasm