apposition (n.)

"application" (of one thing to another), mid-15c., originally in grammatical sense "the relation to a noun or pronoun of another noun or clause added to it by way of explanation," from Latin appositionem (nominative appositio) "a setting before," noun of action from past-participle stem of apponere "lay beside, set near," especially "serve, set before," also "put upon, apply," from ad "to, toward" (see ad-) + ponere "to place" (past participle positus; see position (n.)). General sense is from 1540s.