A roundabout wording, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “twice five miles of fertile ground” (i.e., 10 miles) in “Kubla Khan.” Like periphrasis, which also involves the use of more words to convey wha [..]

c. 1400, from Latin circumlocutionem (nominative circumlocutio) "a speaking around" (the topic), from circum- "around" (see circum-) + locutionem (nominative locutio) "a speak [..]

Roundabout or indirect speech or writing, rather than short, brief, clear writing. See discussion under periphrasis. Cf. related terms like acyrologia, ambage, macrologia, macrology, pleonasm, prolixi [..]

n. Indirect or roundabout expression.

The use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea.

(n) a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things(n) an indirect way of expressing something

Use of other words to describe a specific word or idea which cannot be remembered. [Click Here to Return to List]

Use of other words to describe a specific word or idea which cannot be remembered.     

The use of language that one does know in order to explain a specific word that one does not know.

the use of indirect language or roundabout expressions; evasion in speech or writing. See also: cledonism, periphrasis.

A roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. A roundabout expression.