Sophism

sof′izm, n. a specious fallacy..— n. Soph′ist , one of a cla of public teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, . in Greece in the 5th century B.C. : a captious or fallacious reasoner—also Soph′ister ( Shak. ): a student at an English university in his second or third year, the students in these years being called junior and senior sophister respectively.— adjs. Sophis′tic , -al , pertaining to a sophist or to sophistry: fallaciously subtle.— adv. Sophis′tically .— n. Sophis′ticalne , the state or quality of being sophistical.— v.t. Sophis′ticāte , to render sophistical or unsound: to corrupt by mixture.— adj. Sophis′ticāted , adulterated: impure: not genuine.— ns. Sophisticā′tion , act of sophisticating, adulterating, or injuring by mixture; Sophis′ticātor , one who sophisticates or adulterates; Sophis′ticism , the philosophy or the methods of the sophists; Soph′i stre , a she-sophist; Soph′istry , specious but fallacious reasoning. [Fr. sophisme —Gr. sophism a — sophizein , to make wise— sophos , wise.]