Circumlocution (also called periphrasis, circumduction, circumvolution, periphrase, or ambage)'s an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech. In its most basic form, circumlocution's using many words (such as "a tool used for cutting things such as paper and hair") to describe something simple ("scissors"). In this sense, the vast majority of definitions found in dictionaries are circumlocutory. Circumlocution's often used by aphasics and people learning a new language, where in the absence of a… (More on Perissologia)