"semi-quote" meaning in English

See semi-quote in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: semi-quotes [plural], semiquote [alternative]
Etymology: From semi- + quote. Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|semi|quote}} semi- + quote Head templates: {{en-noun}} semi-quote (plural semi-quotes)
  1. A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in "Tom said 'What?'"
    Sense id: en-semi-quote-en-noun-mb4mOjnw Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with semi-, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Punctuation marks Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 63 8 7 4 18 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with semi-: 33 14 19 15 18 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 68 4 6 5 18 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 69 4 6 4 18 Disambiguation of Punctuation marks: 56 29 3 3 9
  2. A punctuation mark to indicate that the text is a semi-quote, i.e. a close paraphrase that uses some of the author's original words.
    Sense id: en-semi-quote-en-noun-twv6~LQW
  3. A phrase that is a close paraphrase that uses some of the authors original words. For instance: "A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion," according to Winston Churchill.
    Sense id: en-semi-quote-en-noun-JJVKkK3g

Verb

Forms: semi-quotes [present, singular, third-person], semi-quoting [participle, present], semi-quoted [participle, past], semi-quoted [past], semiquote [alternative]
Etymology: From semi- + quote. Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|semi|quote}} semi- + quote Head templates: {{en-verb}} semi-quote (third-person singular simple present semi-quotes, present participle semi-quoting, simple past and past participle semi-quoted)
  1. To make a close paraphrase of a quotation, using some of its words.
    Sense id: en-semi-quote-en-verb-mswuUHdU
  2. (informal) To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-semi-quote-en-verb-cgyQ6RoX

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "semi",
        "3": "quote"
      },
      "expansion": "semi- + quote",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From semi- + quote.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "semi-quotes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semiquote",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "semi-quote (plural semi-quotes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "63 8 7 4 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 14 19 15 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with semi-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 4 6 5 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 4 6 4 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "56 29 3 3 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Punctuation marks",
          "orig": "en:Punctuation marks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in \"Tom said 'What?'\""
      ],
      "id": "en-semi-quote-en-noun-mb4mOjnw"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A punctuation mark to indicate that the text is a semi-quote, i.e. a close paraphrase that uses some of the author's original words."
      ],
      "id": "en-semi-quote-en-noun-twv6~LQW",
      "links": [
        [
          "punctuation mark",
          "punctuation mark"
        ],
        [
          "paraphrase",
          "paraphrase"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A phrase that is a close paraphrase that uses some of the authors original words. For instance: \"A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion,\" according to Winston Churchill."
      ],
      "id": "en-semi-quote-en-noun-JJVKkK3g",
      "links": [
        [
          "paraphrase",
          "paraphrase"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "semi-quote"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "semi",
        "3": "quote"
      },
      "expansion": "semi- + quote",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From semi- + quote.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "semi-quotes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semiquote",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "semi-quote (third-person singular simple present semi-quotes, present participle semi-quoting, simple past and past participle semi-quoted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              121,
              131
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2006, Ernest Thompson Seton, Rolf in the Woods:",
          "text": "Instead of magnifying the damnation of those who follow not the truth (as the village understood it), she was content to semi-quote […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a close paraphrase of a quotation, using some of its words."
      ],
      "id": "en-semi-quote-en-verb-mswuUHdU"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "text": "To semi-quote Shakespeare...",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent."
      ],
      "id": "en-semi-quote-en-verb-cgyQ6RoX",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "semi-quote"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with semi-",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Punctuation marks"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "semi",
        "3": "quote"
      },
      "expansion": "semi- + quote",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From semi- + quote.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "semi-quotes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semiquote",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "semi-quote (plural semi-quotes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in \"Tom said 'What?'\""
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A punctuation mark to indicate that the text is a semi-quote, i.e. a close paraphrase that uses some of the author's original words."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "punctuation mark",
          "punctuation mark"
        ],
        [
          "paraphrase",
          "paraphrase"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A phrase that is a close paraphrase that uses some of the authors original words. For instance: \"A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion,\" according to Winston Churchill."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "paraphrase",
          "paraphrase"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "semi-quote"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with semi-",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Punctuation marks"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "semi",
        "3": "quote"
      },
      "expansion": "semi- + quote",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From semi- + quote.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "semi-quotes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semi-quoted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "semiquote",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "semi-quote (third-person singular simple present semi-quotes, present participle semi-quoting, simple past and past participle semi-quoted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              121,
              131
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2006, Ernest Thompson Seton, Rolf in the Woods:",
          "text": "Instead of magnifying the damnation of those who follow not the truth (as the village understood it), she was content to semi-quote […]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a close paraphrase of a quotation, using some of its words."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "text": "To semi-quote Shakespeare...",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "semi-quote"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (3dadd05 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.