/pə'rɪfrəsɪs; pə`rɪfrəsɪs/
n (pl -ases / -Esi:z; -E9siz/) (fml 文)
1 (a) [U] roundabout way of expressing sth; circumlocution 折绕; 迂说法; 婉曲.
(b) [C] roundabout expression in speaking or writing, eg `give expression to' instead of `express' 折绕语, 婉曲修辞（如用give expression to而不用express）.
2 (grammar)
(a) [U] use of an auxiliary word or a syntactic pattern in place of an inflected form, eg `It does work' for `It works' or `the word of God' for `God's word' 迂说法（用助动词或句法形式而不用动词词尾变化形式, 如用It does work代替It works或用the word of God代替God's word）.
(b) [C] example of this 迂说.

npluralperiphrases [-siːz/