Garden-path-sentence Definition

noun

A sentence that is easily incorrectly parsed on a first read, due to ambiguity of a word or words.

Wiktionary

A sentence that is easily parsed incorrectly when first read, due to ambiguity of a word or words.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Garden-path-sentence

Noun

Singular:
garden-path-sentence
Plural:
garden-path-sentences

Origin of Garden-path-sentence

  • From the idiom lead down a garden path, because a reader forms an interpretation of the sentence which remains plausible until near the end of the sentence, at which point the reader realizes that their interpretation cannot be right (they have been lead down a garden path) and they must try another interpretation.

    From Wiktionary

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