All 3 Uses of
premise
in
To Kill a Mockingbird
- I pulled at his sleeve, and we were followed up the sidewalk by a philippic on our family's moral degeneration, the major premise of which was that half the Finches were in the asylum anyway, but if our mother were living we would not have come to such a state.
p. 117.5 *premise = assumption (used to logically build an argument)editor's notes: Philippic is a very rarely used synonym for denunciation, rant, or verbal attack.
- Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson, had Miss Maudie deigned to permit a geranium on her premises.
p. 194.7 *premises = land
- Miss Frutti said she'd know a Maycomb voice anywhere, and there were no Maycomb voices in that parlor last night— rolling their r's all over her premises, they were.
p. 289.2premises = property
Definitions:
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(1)
(premise as in: the premise of the argument) something assumed to be true and upon which other things are based
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(2)
(premise as in: the premise of the story) something that provides context -- such as the underlying situation in a situation comedy
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(3)
(premise as in: she premised her comments by...) provide a preface or introduction
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(4)
(premises as in: located on the premises) land and/or buildings -- especially of a business or organization