СОРИТ

Sorites

A chain of (categorical) syllogisms, the conclusion of each forming a premiss of the next, one of the premisses being mutely implied. Sorites may be exemplified as follows:

2 is an even number. All even numbers are natural numbers. All natural numbers are rational numbers. Hence, 2 is a rational number.

From the first two premisses we can obtain the following conclusion: 2 is a natural number. This conclusion plays the part of a minor premiss of the next syllogism (all natural numbers are rational numbers and 2 is a natural number). However, the premiss "2 is a natural number" is mutely implied. Sorites is often used in a proof for the purpose of brevity.