1. Either of two punctuation marks, "(" or ")", used to enclose textual material
   "He used round parentheses to add supplementary information";
   - round bracket [Brit], bracket [Brit]
    
2. A temporary departure from the main subject or course in speech, writing, or thought
   "The lecture was full of interesting parenthesiss";
   - diversion, deviation, digression, deflection, deflexion [Brit], divagation [rare], sidetrack, discursion, aside, excursus
    
3. An intervening period or episode
   "Peace was only a parenthesis in the long history of war";
   - interlude

Derived forms: parentheses

Type of: content, interval, message, punctuation, punctuation mark [Brit], subject matter, substance, time interval, turn, turning

Encyclopedia: Parenthesis