Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - rhetoric

 noun  Etymology: Middle English rethorik, from Anglo-French rethorique, from Latin ~a, from Greek rhetorike, literally, art of oratory, from feminine of rhetorikos of an orator, from rhetor orator, ~ian, from eirein to say, speak — more at word  Date: 14th century  1. the art of speaking or writing effectively: as  a. the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times  b. the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion  2.  a. skill in the effective use of speech  b. a type or mode of language or speech; also insincere or grandiloquent language  3. verbal communication ; discourse