What is Zeugma?
A figure of speech that includes a word or phrase that is used in two different ways.
Zeugma: One Word, Two Meanings
Zeugma is a figure of speech in which a single word or phrase is used in two (or more) different ways, often with two (or more) other words, though grammatically the word works differently in each case. This type of word play is often used for humorous, poetic, or rhetorical purposes, playing with various connotations and meanings.
For example, one could say 'He held his breath and her hand', where the verb 'held' is used with two different objects, both literally holding his breath and figuratively holding her hand. Another example would be 'She opened the door and her heart to the orphan', where the verb 'opened' is used with both the door and her heart.
Zuegmas can be used in multiple ways, from showing irony to creating a sense of playfulness within the prose. What makes zeugma such a powerful tool in writing, is that it allows the reader to see a new perspective on the language they are reading, enticing them to continue down the page.
Zeugma has been used throughout literary history, from Shakespeare to modern-day writers. Here are two examples of how zeugma can be played within a sentence.
'You held your breath and the door for me', spoken by the character Bertram in Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well, uses the verb 'held' twice in the sentence in a figurative sense for 'held your breath' and a literal sense for 'held open the door.'
'In the afternoon they all went to church, and she [Mrs. Corney] desired to be buried in a new pair of shoes', as seen in Dickens' Oliver Twist. Here, the verb 'buried' is used in two distinct ways: literally about a funeral, and metaphorically about the new shoes.