epitasis

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐπίτασις (epítasis, “stretching”), from ἐπιτείνω (epiteínō, “to stretch”), from ἐπί (epí) + τείνω (teínō, “stretch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈpɪtəsɪs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

epitasis (countable and uncountable, plural epitases)

1. (ancient drama) The second part of a play, in which the action begins.
   • 1760, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Penguin, published 2003, page 88:

     How my uncle Toby and Corporal Trim managed this matter,—with the history of their campaigns, which were no way barren of events,—may make no uninteresting under-plot in the epitasis and working up of this drama.

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     It doubles itself in the middle of his life, reflects itself in another, repeats itself, protasis, epitasis, catastasis, catastrophe.

2. (rhetoric) The addition of a concluding sentence that merely emphasizes what has already been stated.
3. (obsolete) The period of violence in a fever or disease; paroxysm.

Related terms

• protasis
• catastasis
• catastrophe

Anagrams

• Espitias