metonymy (redirected from metonymies)

me·ton·y·my  (m-tn-m)

n. pl. me·ton·y·mies

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power.

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[Late Latin metnymia, from Greek metnumi : meta-, meta- + onuma, name; see n-men- in Indo-European roots.]

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meto·nymic (mt-nmk), meto·nymi·cal adj.

meto·nymi·cal·ly adv.

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metonymy [mit-on-im-ee]

Noun

pl -mies a figure of speech in which one thing is replaced by another associated with it, for instance the use of Downing Street to mean the British government [Greek meta-, indicating change + onoma name]

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metonymy

a rhetorical or stylistic device in which one thing is named or referred to by the name of another, related thing; for example, the use of White House in referring to the presidential administration. — metonym, n. — metonymous, metonymie, metonymical, adj.

See also: Names

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a rhetorical or stylistic device in which one thing is named or referred to by the name of another, related thing; for example, the use of White House for the presidential administration. — metonym, n. — metonymous, metonymic, metonymical, adj.

See also: Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

metonymy - substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in `they counted heads') figure of speech, trope, image, figure - language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense metalepsis - substituting metonymy of one figurative sense for another voice - (metonymy) a singer; "he wanted to hear trained voices sing it"