Answer – An ellipsis is the three dot punctuation mark (…) that is used to denote an omission.

Explanation:

Three dots or periods placed immediately one after another usually indicate to the reader that there is some text missing. The term for this punctuation mark is ellipsis, and it is derived from the Greek word for ‘omission’. It is also commonly (and informally) called ‘dot-dot-dot’.

It is used most frequently in direct quotations, informing readers that some words or sentences have been left out from the original source, usually to avoid length and/or bits that may seem extra or confusing without further elaboration on their background.

Ellipses are also used often when writing dialogue to indicate hesitation, pauses or, if they are situated at the end of the sentence, to simulate the speaker trailing off. For example,

“No…I’m not sure about this.”

“Hold on…repeat that…you’re positive?”

“I was convinced we were right…”

They are also an effective tool to signal sarcasm or innuendo. 

Though they are periods, if they replace text from the middle of a sentence, the next word does not begin with a capital letter (unless it is a proper noun or an acronym). When the ellipsis is used at the end of a sentence, it should be followed by an additional period – the full stop. Users may also need to follow a few more rules regarding them, based on the style guide that they choose to follow.