# zeugma

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈzjuːɡ.mə/

## Definitions
1. The act of using a word, particularly an adjective or verb, to apply to more than one noun when its sense is appropriate to only one.
2. Syllepsis.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ζεῦγμα (zeûgma, “yoking; a bond, a band”), from ζεύγνυμι (zeúgnumi, “to yoke; to join”), from ζεῦγος (zeûgos, “a yoke”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/zeugma