A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together for emphasis, for example, "deafening silence".[From Greek oxymoron, from neuter of oxymoros (sharp dull), from oxys (sharp) + moros (dull). The word moron comes from the same root.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=oxymoron
"A man for whom the term 'business ethics' is not just a polite oxymoron, Edward is shocked when he discovers the secret behind his father's genius with investments. It's a bit like the classic shell game, only with quarterly earning statements."
Karen D'Souza; The Family That Cheats Together; Mercury News (San Jose, California); Mar 25, 2005.
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