make+smaller
131Meiosis — Mei*o sis (m[ i]*[=o] s[i^]s), n. [NL., fr. Gr. mei wsis, fr. meioy^n to make smaller, from mei wn. See {Meionite}.] 1. (Rhet.) Diminution; a species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it really is; understatement; see also… …
132Meiosis (figure of speech) — In rhetoric, meiosis is a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is. Meiosis is the opposite of auxesis, and also sometimes used as a synonym for… …
