deesis

noun — 2 senses

noun

UK /dɪˈiːsɪs/

Etymology From Ancient Greek δέησις (déēsis, “entreaty, petition, want”), from δέω (déō, “lack, miss”), δέομαι (déomai, “beg”).

Rhetoric A call to witness.

Rhetoric A vehement expression of desire, as in "think of the children!" or requests preceded by "for God's sake".

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.