Rhesis

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A passage of text in a play.

    "Such speeches (like the rheses) have the distinction of length, often exceeding one hundred lines; they give the impression that for a time dramatic effect is suspended, and, as a substitute, the recognised features of Epic Poetry supply a new interest."

Example

More examples

"Such speeches (like the rheses) have the distinction of length, often exceeding one hundred lines; they give the impression that for a time dramatic effect is suspended, and, as a substitute, the recognised features of Epic Poetry supply a new interest."

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥῆσῐς (rhêsĭs).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.