Dictionary

auxesis en · NOUN

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὔξησις (aúxēsis, “growth”), from αὐξάνω (auxánō, “to grow”).

Meanings

1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) A rhetorical device whereby the subject matter is made greater, particularly ▸ Overstatement, hyperbole.
   • Avxesis, when we vse a greater word for a lesse, or thus, when the word is greater then the thing is in deede. 1577, Henry Peacham, Garden of Eloquence:
2. (countable, obsolete, rhetoric, uncountable) A rhetorical device whereby the subject matter is made greater, particularly ▸ Arrangement of a series in ascending order.
3. (countable, uncountable) Biological growth, (now usually restricted to) expansion or growth of an organism apart from that due to cellular division.
   • Botanists do still distinguish between auxesis or growth by expansion, and merisis or growth by cell-multiplication. 1940 November 9, Nature, 618/1
   • Auxesis, augmentation, increase. 1842, R. Dunglison, Medical Lexicon:
4. (countable, uncountable) The condition of being auxetic

Forms

Antonyms

antonym(s) of (See understatement) · catacosmesis (antonym(s) of “ascending series”) · merisis (antonym(s) of “biological growth not involving cell division”) · meiosis

Deriveds

auxetically · auxetic

Relateds

heterauxesis · tachyauxesis · pleonasm

Synonyms

amplificatio (rhetorical increase) · spin (rhetorical increase; good) · amplification (rhetorical increase) · hyperbole · climax (ascending series)