in Grammar, a contraction of syllables, performed principally, by suppressing some vowel or diphthong at the end of a word, on account of another vowel or diphthong at the beginning of the next. As, ill' ego, for ille ego, &c.

Conticuer' omnes intetiqua' ora tenebant. Virg.

It is called by the Latins collifo.