ellipsis

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪˈlɪpsɪs/

Noun

ellipsis

1. (typography) A mark consisting of three periods, historically with spaces in between, before, and after them “ . . . ”, nowadays a single character “…” Ellipses are used to indicate that words have been omitted in a text or that they are missing or illegible.

   Synonyms: dot dot dot

   • 2006, Danielle Corsetto, ''Girls with Slingshots: 114 ↗

     CARD: Hey Baby. Thanks for the … last night. Love you!

     HAZEL: Wow. I’ve never despised an ellipsis so much in my life.

2. (grammar, rhetoric) The omission of a word or phrase that can be inferred from the context.
3. (film) The omission of scenes in a film that do not advance the plot.
   • 2002, David Blanke, ''The 1910s: 219 ↗

     It was now possible for writers and directors to cut scenes that did not further the plot; called "ellipses" by filmmakers.

4. (obsolete, geometry) An ellipse.

Translations

• French: points de suspension
• German: Auslassungspunkte
• Italian: puntini puntini puntini
• Portuguese: reticências, pontos de reticência, três pontos
• Russian: многото́чие
• Spanish: puntos suspensivos

Translations

• French: ellipse
• German: Ellipse
• Italian: ellissi
• Portuguese: elipse
• Russian: опуще́ние
• Spanish: elipsis

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