n.
Pronunciation: p ə - ' ri-fr ə -s ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ra · ses \ - ˌ s ē z \
Etymology: Latin, from Greek, from periphrazein to express periphrastically, from peri- + phrazein to point out
Date: 1533
1 : use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression
2 : an instance of periphrasis