define tmesis
Definition of Tmesis. Tmesis is derived from a Greek word tmÄsis that means âto cutâ. It is a rhetorical device. It involves the breaking down of a phrase or a word into two parts. In simpler words, tmesis is an insertion of a word between a word, a compound word or a phrase (phrasal verbs usually). It is a practice of dividing a phrase or word into its components by inserting another word in the middle of that phrase or word.