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- Robert Browning

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Academic Focus: Metric analysis / Historical dialect interpretation. Engaging with diverse historical English builds phonetic agility, linguistic empathy, and reading stamina valued in selective entry exams.

Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly,

May gaze through these faint smokes curling whitely,

As thou pliest thy trade in this devil's-smithy--

Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?

...

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verb

To have each of a team's batting line-up positions complete an at-bat in the same half-inning.

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Dictionary Entry

circumlocutory

Part of SpeechadjectivePronunciationsur-kum-lok-yuh-tor-eeWord FrequencyRare (1.96)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)

Characterised by circumlocution; periphrastic; verbose.

In a Sentence

“The officials set to work in regular circumlocutory order. -Chambers's Journal.”

Published Usage Examples

“The challenge for the novice was to spot the bogus stuff, but Mikey deliberately made it harder by being coy and circumlocutory about genuine matters too.”

“The tautological, circumlocutory argument of American Exceptionalism can be stated thusly: “We are on a providentially inspired mission and are guided by a ‘Higher Power’, therefore whatever our actions or policies, we cannot be in the wrong.””

Year 12 Word List

This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 12 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.

Origin

Latin, from `circum` (around) + `loqui` (to speak).

Common Phrases

. circumlocutoryway circumlocutoryphrases circumlocutorylanguage circumlocutoryspeech circumlocutorystyle circumlocutorycircumlocutory somewhat
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Synonyms

circumlocuitouscircumlocutionalcircumlocutionarycircumlocutiousambagiousindirect

Antonyms

directconcisebriefsuccinctto the point

Related Words

periphrasticwordycircumlocutive

Poetry examples for “circumlocutory”

Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.

Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.