sorites

From the Latin sōrītēs, from the Ancient Greek σωρείτης (sōreítēs, “fallacy of the heap”), from σωρός (sōrós, “heap”).

• IPA^(key): /səˈɹaɪtiːz/

sorites (plural sorites)

1. (logic, rhetoric) A series of propositions whereby each conclusion is taken as the subject of the next.
   • 1760, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Penguin 2003, p. 130:

     Why?—he would ask, making use of the sorites or syllogism of Zeno and Chrysippus without knowing it belonged to them.—Why? why are we a ruined people?—Because we are corrupted.——Whence is it, dear Sir, that we are corrupted?—Because we are needy [...] ——And wherefore, he would add,—are we needy?——From the neglect, he would answer

• destructive sorites
• sorites paradox

• syllogism

• restios, rosiest, rossite, sorties, stories, trioses

From Ancient Greek σωρείτης (sōreítēs, “fallacy of the heap”), from σωρός (sōrós, “heap”).

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /soːˈriː.teːs/

sōrītēs m (genitive sōrītae); first declension

1. sorites; a logical sophism formed by an accumulation of arguments

First declension, masculine Greek type with nominative singular in -ēs.

• English: sorites

• sorites in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• sorites in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• sorites in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette