pe·riph·ra·sis (p?-r?f?r?-s?s)n. pl. pe·riph·ra·ses (-s?z?) 1. The use of circumlocution.2. A circumlocution.[Latin, from Greek, from periphrazein, to express periphrastically : peri-, peri- + phrazein, to say; see gwhren- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.periphrasis (p??r?fr?s?s) n, pl -rases (-r??si?z) 1. a roundabout way of expressing something; circumlocution2. an expression of this kind[C16: via Latin from Greek, from peri- + phrazein to declare]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014pe?riph?ra?sis (p??r?f r? s?s) n., pl. -ses (-?siz) 1. the use of a verbose or roundabout form of expression; circumlocution. 2. an expression phrased in this way. 3. a. the use of two or more words instead of an inflected word to express the same grammatical function. b. an example of this. [1525?35;