Oxymoron as defined on Dictionary.comOxymoron as defined on Dictionary.com
3 entries found for oxymoron
ox·y·mo·ron ( k s -môr n, -m r-)
n. pl. ox·y·mo·ra (-môr ,
-mr) or ox·y·mo·rons
A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.
[Greek oxumron,
from neuter of oxumros,
pointedly foolish
: oxus, sharp; see oxygen + mros, foolish, dull.]
oxy·mo·ronic (-m-rn k) adj.
oxy·mo·roni·cal·ly adv.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
oxymoron
Ox`y*mo"ron, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ???, fr. ??? pointedly foolish; ??? sharp + ??? foolish.] (Rhet.) A figure in which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word; e. g., cruel kindness; laborious idleness.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
oxymoron
n : conjoining contradictory terms (as in 'deafening silence')
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
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