Aposiopesis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Aposiopesis \Ap`o*si`o*pe"sis\ (?; 277), n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, from
     ? to be quite silent.] (Rhet.)
     A figure of speech in which the speaker breaks off suddenly,
     as if unwilling or unable to state what was in his mind; as,
     "I declare to you that his conduct -- but I can not speak of
     that, here."


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  aposiopesis
       n : breaking off in the middle of a sentence (as by writers of
           realistic conversations)
       [also: {aposiopeses} (pl)]