# merism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɛrɪz(ə)m/

## Definitions
1. A reference to something by its polar extremes, as in "we searched high and low".
2. A reference to something by a list of its parts.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek μερισμός (merismós). Compare μέρος (méros, “part”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/merism