Meaning & use
Merism
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A figure of speech in which a whole is referred to by naming two or more of its parts or opposite extremes.
See it in a sentence
The phrase 'lock, stock, and barrel' is a classic merism meaning 'everything.'
Saying someone searched 'high and low' is a merism for searching everywhere.
A note on using this word
Common in ancient texts, including the Bible's phrase 'the heavens and the earth,' meaning the entire universe.
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