Definitions

1. noun

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to two or more things that are related, but not alike, in meaning, often in a way that is not grammatically correct.

“The poet’s use of syllepsis in the final stanza was criticized for being confusing and unclear.”

2. noun

A rhetorical device in which a word or phrase is used with two or more related but different meanings.

“The writer employed syllepsis in her description of the sunset, using the word ‘fire’ to describe both the flames and the passion of the moment.”

3. verb

To use syllepsis in speech or writing.

“The poet sylleptically used the word ‘heart’ to refer to both the organ and the emotional center.”