hyperbaton

UK: /haɪˈpɜːbəˌtɒn/ US: (hī pûr′bə ton′)

Inflections of 'hyperbaton' (n):

hyperbatons

npl

hyperbata

npl

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hy•per•ba•ton  (hī pûr′bə ton′), n., pl. -ba•tons, -ba•ta (-bə tə). [Rhet.]

1. the use, esp. for emphasis, of a word order other than the expected or usual one, as in "Bird thou never wert.''

• Greek: transposition, literally, overstepping, derivative of neuter of hyperbatós, equivalent. to hyper- hyper- + ba- (stem of baínein to walk, step) + -tos verbal adjective, adjectival suffix; compare basis
• Latin
• 1570–80;

hy•per•bat•ic  (hī′pər bat′ik), adj.  hy′per•bat′i•cal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hyperbaton / haɪˈpɜːbəˌtɒn/ noun

1. a figure of speech in which the normal order of words is reversed, as in cheese I love

Etymology: 16th Century: via Latin from Greek, literally: an overstepping, from hyper- + bainein to step