/i lip"sis/ , n. , pl. ellipses /-seez/ .
1. Gram.
a. the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of who are, while I am, or while we are from I like to interview people sitting down.
b. the omission of one or more items from a construction in order to avoid repeating the identical or equivalent items that are in a preceding or following construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I've been to Paris, but they haven't.
2. Print. a mark or marks as - - , ... , or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words.
[ 1560-70; ellipsis élleipsis an omission, equiv. to el- (var. of en- EN- 2 ) + leip- (s. of leípein to leave) + -sis -SIS ]