ellipsis
Omission indicator mark
An ellipsis is the omission of words from speech or text, or the punctuation mark (three dots: ...) indicating such an omission.
In quoted material, ellipsis shows where words have been left out: The report stated that "ichthyosaurs... gave birth to live young".
In casual writing, ellipsis creates trailing-off effects, hesitation, or dramatic pauses: I don't know...
The plural is ellipses.
Removal of content
- exclusionBeing barred from participation
- absenceState of not being
- lacunaAbsent piece in sequence
- gapUnfilled space between
void · skip · elision · redaction · unstated · unmentioned · unspoken · abbreviation
State of awaiting something
- tensionStretched or strained state
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
intrigue · buildup · foreboding · expectation · unfinished · incomplete · teaser · hook
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- brevityShortness of expression
- understatementIntentional diminishment for effect
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- insinuationIndirect, usually negative suggestion
innuendo · unsaid · subtext · indirection · anaphora
Small circular marks
- periodsSpans of time
- pointsUnits of tally
- typographyArranging letters for display
- spacingInterval arrangement between objects
brackets · quotation · apostrophe · semicolon · colon · comma · dash · hyphen
Delay from uncertainty
- silenceTotal lack of sound
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- breathAir taken in
- interludePause between sections
break · lull · caesura · rest · interval · delay · hanging · suspension
Referring to antecedent
- gappingOmission in coordinate clauses
- sluicingWashing with flowing water
- strandingLeaving helplessly isolated
- antecedentSomething that precedes
deletion
Removal of content
gap · void · skip · elision · redaction · unstated · unmentioned · unspoken · abbreviation · truncation
anticipation
State of awaiting something
- tensionStretched or strained state
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
uncertainty · intrigue · buildup · foreboding · expectation · unfinished · incomplete · teaser · hook · withholding
implication
Indirect suggestion or consequence
- brevityShortness of expression
- understatementIntentional diminishment for effect
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
insinuation · innuendo · unsaid · subtext · indirection · anaphora
dots
Small circular marks
- periodsSpans of time
- pointsUnits of tally
- typographyArranging letters for display
spacing · brackets · quotation · apostrophe · semicolon · colon · comma · dash · hyphen · text
hesitation
Delay from uncertainty
interlude · break · lull · caesura · rest · interval · delay · hanging · suspension
anaphoric
Referring to antecedent
- typographic symbolsasterisk, ampersand, dagger, double dagger, pilcrow
- brevitybrevity, concise, succinct, terse, pithy
- cartoon visualsaction lines, speech bubble, thought bubble, pow, bam
- incompleteincomplete, unfinished, partial, fragmentary, half-done
- punctuationperiod, comma, colon, apostrophe, semicolon
- symbolssymbols, runes, symbol, asterisks, national symbol
ellipsiscompleteness
State of being whole
full text · complete sentence · whole · entirety · elaboration
ellipsisexplicitness
Quality of being unambiguous
elaboration · pleonasm · verbosity · expansion · explication
ellipsisinsertion
Placing something within
addition · expansion · pleonasm · supplementation · augmentation
- ellipsis markSymbol for omitted words