euphemism

Recorded since 1656; from Ancient Greek εὐφημισμός (euphēmismós), from εὐφημίζω (euphēmízō), from εὔφημος (eúphēmos, “uttering sound of good omen, abstaining from inauspicious words”), from εὖ (eû, “well”) + φήμη (phḗmē, “a voice, a prophetic voice, rumor, talk”), from φάναι (phánai, “to speak, say”).

• enPR: yoo͞'fə-mĭz"(ə)m, IPA^(key): /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪ.z(ə)m/

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euphemism (countable and uncountable, plural euphemisms)

1. (uncountable) The use of a word or phrase to replace another with one that is considered less offensive, blunt or vulgar than the word or phrase which it replaces.
   • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, I, page 118:

     Akin to it [litotes] is euphemism, which may be applied to the same purpose.

2. (countable) A word or phrase that is used to replace another in this way.
   • a. 1803, James Beattie, “Of Rhetorick”, in Elements of Moral Science, volume III, Philadelphia: Hopkins and Earle, published 1809, I, page 118:

     When it is said of the martyr St. Stephen, that “he fell asleep,” instead of—he died, the euphemism partakes of the nature of metaphor, intimating a resemblance between sleep and the death of such a person.

• dysphemism
• expletive

• euphemistic

• euphemism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Euphemism in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• euphemism in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• euphemism in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• euphemism at OneLook Dictionary Search