| asyndeton |
| Definition: A figure of speech where conjunctions are omitted from a series of related clauses. Note: The rhetorical purpose is to speed up the passage's rhythm and make it more memorable. |
| Example: I read, I spotted, I defined. |
| Etymology: The word derives from the Greek a, not + sundeton, bound together with |
| Oxford English Dictionary: Its first citation is from 1589: "Asyndeton, or the Loose language … as thus: I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it." (Puttenham Eng. Poesie (1869) 185) |