1. Plural of chiasmus; instances of a rhetorical device in which the second part of a sentence reverses the structure of the first part.
Usage: literary; rhetoric
2. Plural of chiasmus; anatomical crossings or intersections, especially of nerve fibers or blood vessels.
Usage: anatomy; medical

Examples

• The poet employed several chiasmuses to create memorable, balanced phrases.
• In rhetoric class, students identified chiasmuses in famous speeches.
• The famous line 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country' is one of the most celebrated chiasmuses in American oratory.
• Anatomists study the chiasmuses where optic nerves cross in the brain.
• The chiasmuses of the nervous system are critical junctures for signal transmission.