Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In rhetoric, polite irony; a polite and ingenious manner of deriding another.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Rhet.) Genteel irony; a polite and ingenious manner of deriding another.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Polite
irony ; agenteel andingenious manner ofderiding another.
Etymologies
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Examples
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whichbe commented on the word asteism
An ingeniously polite insult.
May 16, 2008
jmjarmstrong commented on the word asteism
JM prides himself on his ability to craft almost imperceptible asteisms that are models of propriety and correctness.
July 31, 2010