n. pl. par·en·the·ses (-sēz′) 1. Either or both of the upright curved lines, ( ), used to mark off explanatory or qualifying remarks in writing or printing or enclose a sum, product, or other expression considered or treated as a collective entity in a mathematical operation. 2. a. A qualifying or amplifying word, phrase, or sentence inserted within written matter in such a way as to be independent of the surrounding grammatical structure. b. A comment departing from the theme of discourse; a digression. 3. An interruption of continuity; an interval: "This is one of the things I wasn't prepared for—the amount of unfilled time, the long parentheses of nothing" (Margaret Atwood). [Late Latin, insertion of a letter or syllable in a word, from Greek, from parentithenai, to insert : para-, beside; see PARA-1 + en-, in; see en in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + tithenai, to put; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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