Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In rhetoric, a figure in which the same words or ideas are repeated in inverse order.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Rhet.) A figure in which the same words or ideas are repeated in transposed order.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun rhetoric The technique of reversal, where accentuated by reversal of words, actions or grammatical structure.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The classical rhetorician called that antimetabole, though modern speech writers tend to refer to it as the reversible raincoat.
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This anxiety produces an exchange between Edward and his uncle Richard that shows the youngster's verbal dexterity in the rhetorical figure of antimetabole, or the symmetrical repetition of words in inverted order:
Shakespeare Bevington, David 2002
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
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How many even know the meaning of anaphora, antimetabole or litotes?
The Chicago Blog 2009
harrisj commented on the word antimetabole
Often confused with chiasmus, this is the correct term for the rhetorical trick of reversing two words in two clauses of a sentence for a clever bit of wordplay. For instance,
President George W. Bush's speechwriters seem especially fond of this technique, almost to the point of caricature.
September 3, 2008
kewpid commented on the word antimetabole
Woo, wordies are ahead of the ball.
September 6, 2008
rolig commented on the word antimetabole
a.k.a. the reversible raincoat.
January 25, 2009
jmjarmstrong commented on the word antimetabole
JM consults his timetable to determine the antimetabole.
December 17, 2010