Speaking in a roundabout or indirect way; the use of several words instead of one, or many instead of few. Formerly used of grammatical…

Digressive or long-winded speech or writing; circumlocution; verbiage. Frequently: an example of this, a digression.

Chiefly Rhetoric. A figure of speech in which a meaning is expressed by several words instead of by few or one; a roundabout way of speaking…

figurative. Circuitous mode of speech, circumlocution, ‘maze of argument’ (Johnson).

Roundabout process or mode. of speech or expression: circumlocution. Obsolete.

Rhetoric. A form of periphrasis in which a quality or thing is described in terms of its distinctive characteristics. Obsolete. rare.

Circumlocution. Obsolete.

= periphrasis, n.

An indirect or roundabout process or proceeding; = ambage, n. 6. Obsolete. rare.

The action of encompassing; †‘talking round’ a subject (obsolete rare).

Walking round or about; figurative beating about the bush, indirect process.

= circuition, n. 2.

figurative. In early use: comprehensive relation or description (of a subject). Later: circumlocution; verbal or literary wandering or digression…

The quality of being roundabout or indirect; esp. circuitousness or indirectness of speech or expression; circumlocution.

Speaking in a roundabout or indirect way; circumlocution.

Indirectness of language or writing; circumlocution; (also) verbosity.

Obscurity or indirectness of expression.