World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesChiasm
/ˈkaɪ.æz.əm/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A grammatical figure of speech wherein the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second.
"The famous phrase 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country' is a brilliant example of a chiasm." - 2
An anatomical crossing or intersection of two tracts, nerves, or structures, such as the optic chiasm.
"Visual signals from the eyes cross over at the optic chiasm before reaching the brain's visual cortex."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'khiasmos', meaning 'marking with an X', which comes from 'khiazein' meaning 'to shape like the letter chi (X)'. The term entered English in the 19th century through rhetorical and anatomical contexts, describing structures or concepts arranged in a crisscross pattern.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Chiasm"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Chiasm" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
chiasme
Transliteration: kyazm
"Le discours utilise un chiasme pour marquer les esprits."
Chiasmus
Transliteration: kiˈasmʊs
"Ein Chiasmus ist eine Überkreuzung von Satzstrukturen."
chiasmo
Transliteration: ˈkjazmo
"Il chiasmo è una figura retorica molto usata nella poesia classica."
quiasmo
Transliteration: ˈkiasmo
"El autor empleó un quiasmo para enfatizar el contraste."
quiasmo
Transliteration: kiˈazmu
"O quiasmo é uma figura de linguagem baseada na inversão."
व्युत्क्रम
Transliteration: vyutkram
Script: हिंदी देवनागरी
"यह वाक्यरचना एक सुंदर व्युत्क्रम का उदाहरण है।"
交错配列
Transliteration: jiāocuò pèiliè
Script: 中文汉字
"这种修辞手法被称为交错配列。"
교차배열법
Transliteration: gyo-cha-bae-yeol-beop
Script: 한국어 한글
"이 시는 교차배열법을 사용하여 운율을 살렸다."
交叉配列
Transliteration: kōsa hairetsu
Script: 日本語
"文学作品において交叉配列は印象的な効果を生む。"
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