diaeresis Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a diacritical mark (two dots) placed over a vowel in German to indicate a change in sound
    dieresis; umlaut.

WordNet

Di*ær"e*sis, Di*er"e*sis noun (Also<
  • Diaeresis
  • Diæresis
  • Dieresis
)
Etymology
L. diaeresis, Gr. , fr. to divide; through, asunder + to take. See Heresy.
Wordforms
plural Diæreses ∨ Diereses
Definitions
  1. (Gram.) The separation or resolution of one syllable into two; -- the opposite of synæresis.
  2. A mark consisting of two dots [¨aut;], placed over the second of two adjacent vowels, to denote that they are to be pronounced as distinct letters; as, coöperate, aërial.

Webster 1913