syncope
noun
- the dropping of sounds or letters from the middle of a word, as in (gläsʹtər) for Gloucester
- a fainting, or loss of consciousness, caused by a temporary deficiency of blood supply to the brain
See syncope in American Heritage Dictionary 4
syn·co·pe
noun- Grammar The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word; for example, bos'n for boatswain.
- Pathology A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary deficiency of oxygen in the brain; a swoon. See Synonyms at blackout.
Origin: Middle English sincopis, from sincopene, from Late Latin syncopēn, accusative of syncopē, from Greek sunkopē, from sunkoptein, to cut short : sun-, syn- + koptein, to strike.
Related Forms:
- syncopal synˈco·pal (sĭngˈkə-pəl, sĭnˈ-), syn·copˈic (sĭn-kŏpˈĭk) adjective
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