Webster's English Dictionary

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diaeresis

di.aer.e.sis \di--'er-*-s*s\ \-'er-*-.se-z\ \.di--*-'ret-ik\ n or 
   di.aer.e.ses [LL diaeresis, fr. Gk diairesis, fr. diairein to divide, fr.] 
   pl dia- + hairein to take 1: the division of one syllable into two esp. by 
   separating the vowel eleme nts of a diphthong or by resolving a w or y 
   sound into a vowel 2: a mark : placed over a vowel to to indicate that the 
   vowel is pron ounced in a separate syllable (as in naive, Bronte) 3: the 
   break in a verse caused by the coincidence of the end of a foot with  the 
   end of a word - di.ae.ret.ic aj