zeugma /ˈzjuːɡ.mə/ noun2 •(rhetoric) The act of using a word, particularly an adjective or verb, to apply to more than one noun when its sense is appropriate to only one. •(rhetoric) Syllepsis.The existence of zeugmas suggests the rule of transitivity. Zeugmas appear incorrect because they embody an allegedly univocal use of a term in a way which violated^([sic]) the rule of transitivity. — 1963 formszeugmas · zeugmata