metonymy Hear it!

metonymy Definition

me·tony·my (mə tän′ə mē)

noun pl. metonymies -·mies

a figure of speech in which the name of one thing is used in place of that of another associated with or suggested by it (Ex.: “the White House” for “the President”)

Etymology: LL metonymia < Gr metōnymia < meta, other (see meta-) + onoma, onyma, name

Related Forms:

metonymy Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • logical: Verbs such as enjoy in the student enjoyed the book exhibit logical metonymy: enjoy is interpreted as enjoy reading.