chiasm
/ˈkaɪæzəm/
noun
- A crossing or intersection of two structures, especially nerves or fibers, in the body.
- In the brain, the chiasm allows visual information to be processed on both sides.
- Doctors studied the chiasm to understand how nerve signals travel to the brain.
- The optic chiasm is where the optic nerves from each eye cross over.
- A rhetorical or literary device in which words or phrases are repeated in reverse order for effect (e.g., 'She went to the store, and to the store went she').
- Learning to identify a chiasm can help you appreciate the structure of a sentence.
- In his speech, the chiasm 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country' became famous.
- The poet used a chiasm to emphasize the balance between love and loss.
Synonyms