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Zeugma

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A figure where a single word governs two others with different meanings.

Detailed Definition
Zeugma is a rhetorical figure where a single word (often a verb or adjective) governs or modifies two or more other words in different, often incongruous ways (e.g., “She broke his car and his heart”); in poetry, zeugma creates wit, surprise, or pathos by yoking disparate ideas through syntactic economy, revealing hidden connections or ironies.
Example
Example in poetry:
“She broke his car and his heart”—single verb governs disparate objects; “He lost his keys and his temper”—zeugma links physical and emotional loss; “Lend me your ears and your coat”—Shakespearean comic zeugma
Additional Notes
Zeugma: A figure where one word governs two or more others in different senses (e.g., “She broke his car and his heart”); creates surprise, economy, or humor; a form of syllepsis.
Other Meanings of “Zeugma”
Also Known As
Syllepsis Double yoke Dual construction Shared term zeugmatic phrase
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