PARENTHESES
PARENTHESIS
digression, aside, excursus, divagation, parenthesis
(noun) a message that departs from the main subject
parenthesis
(noun) either of two punctuation marks (or) used to enclose textual material
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Noun
parentheses
plural of parenthesis
Source: Wiktionary
PARENTHESIS
Pa*ren"the*sis, n.; pl. Parentheses. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Para-, En-,
2, and Thesis.]
1. A word, phrase, or sentence, by way of comment or explanation,
inserted in, or attached to, a sentence which would be grammatically
complete without it. It is usually inclosed within curved lines (see
def. 2 below), or dashes. "Seldom mentioned without a derogatory
parenthesis." Sir T. Browne.
Don't suffer every occasional thought to carry you away into a long
parenthesis. Watts.
2. (Print.)
Definition: One of the curved lines () which inclose a parenthetic word or
phrase.
Note: Parenthesis, in technical grammar, is that part of a sentence
which is inclosed within the recognized sign; but many phrases and
sentences which are punctuated by commas are logically parenthetical.
In def. 1, the phrase "by way of comment or explanation" is inserted
for explanation, and the sentence would be grammatically complete
without it. The present tendency is to avoid using the distinctive
marks, except when confusion would arise from a less conspicuous
separation.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition