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metaphor

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
met·a·phor  (mt-fôr, -fr)
n.
1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" Shakespeare.
2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: "Hollywood has always been an irresistible, prefabricated metaphor for the crass, the materialistic, the shallow, and the craven" Neal Gabler.

[Middle English methaphor, from Old French metaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek, transference, metaphor, from metapherein, to transfer : meta-, meta- + pherein, to carry; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.]

meta·phoric (-fôrk, -fr-), meta·phori·cal adj.
meta·phori·cal·ly adv.

metaphor
Noun
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally apply to in order to imply a resemblance, for example he is a lion in battle [Greek metapherein to transfer]
metaphorical adj
metaphorically adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.metaphormetaphor - a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
figure of speech, trope, image, figure - language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
dead metaphor, frozen metaphor - a metaphor that has occurred so often that it has become a new meaning of the expression (e.g., `he is a snake' may once have been a metaphor but after years of use it has died and become a new sense of the word `snake')
mixed metaphor - a combination of two or more metaphors that together produce a ridiculous effect
synesthetic metaphor - a metaphor that exploits a similarity between experiences in different sense modalities

metaphor
noun figure of speech, image, symbol, analogy, emblem, conceit (literary) allegory, trope, figurative expression
Translations

metaphor [ˈmɛtəfəʳ] nmetáfora
metaphor [ˈmɛtəfəʳ] nmétaphore f
metaphor [ˈmɛtəfəʳ] nMetapher f
metaphor [ˈmɛtəfəʳ] nmetafora

metaphor
n metaphor [ˈmetəfə]
a form of expression (not using `like' or `as')in which a quality or characteristic is given to a person or thing by using a name, image, adjective etc normally used of something else which has similar qualities etc `He's a tiger when he's angry' is an example of (a) metaphor.metafoorإسْتِعارَه، مَجازметафораmetaforametafordie Metapherμεταφορά (γραμμ.)metáforametafoorتشبیهmetaforamétaphoreמְטָפוֹרָהअलंकारmetafora, poredbametaforametaforamyndhvörf/-hverfing/-líkingmetaforaたとえ은유, 비유metaforametaforametaforabeeldspraakmetaformetaforametáforametaforăметафораmetaforametaforametaforametaforคำอุปมาmecaz, benzetme隱喻, 暗喻метафораاستعارہphép ẩn dụ
adj ˌmetaˈphoric(al) [-ˈfo-]
of, like or using metaphors metaphorical language.metaforiesإسْتِعاري، مَجازيметафориченmetaforickýmetaforiskmetaphorischμεταφορικόςmetafóricopiltlikمجازیkuvallinenmétaphoriqueמֶטָפוֹרִיरूपकालंकारिकmetaforičanmetaforikusmenggunakan metaforamyndhverfur; myndrænnmetaforicoたとえの은유의, 비유의metaforiškasmetaforisksmetaforafiguurlijkbilledlig, metaforiskmetaforycznymetafóricometa­foricметафорическийmetaforickýmetaforičenmetaforičkimetaforiskเกี่ยวกับการใช้คำอุปมาmecazî隱喻的, 暗喻的метафоричнийاستعاریẩn dụ
adv ˌmetaˈphorically
metaforiesإسْتِعاريّا، مَجازيّاметафоричноmetaforickymetaforisktmetaphorischμεταφορικάmetafóricamentepiltlikultمجازاkuvallisestimétaphoriquementבְּצוּרָה מֶטָפוֹרִיתरूपकालंकार की दृ‍ष्टि सेmetaforičkiképletesen, metaforával (élve)secara metaforamyndrænt; á myndhverfðan háttmetaforicamenteたとえで은유적으로metaforiškaimetaforiskisecara metaforametaforischmetaforisk, ved å bruke et bildemetaforyczniemetaforicamentemetaforic (vor­bind)метафорическиmetaforickymetaforičnometaforičkimetaforisktอย่างเปรียบเทียบmecazî olarak隱喻地метафоричноبطور استعارہbằng phép ẩn dụ

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Sometimes too we qualify the metaphor by adding the term to which the proper word is relative.
But the whole, to continue the same metaphor, consists in the cookery of the author; for, as Mr Pope tells us--
When I say petticoat, I use the word in its literal sense, not colloquially as a metaphor for its usual wearer, meaning thereby a dainty feminine undergarment seen only by men on rainy days, and one might add washing-days.
 
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