ELENCH', noun [Latin elenchus; Gr. to argue, to refute.] 1. A vicious or fallacious argument, which is apt to deceive under the appearance of truth; a sophism. [Little used.] 2. In antiquity, a kind of earring set with pearls.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI