metonym means A word that names an object from a single characteristic of it or of a closely related object; a word used in metonymy. It carries an Arena rating of 1523, earned across 12 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, metonym ranks #875 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #3,234 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #4,271 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #6,006 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
metonym is pronounced /ˈmɛ.tə.nɪm/.
Why “metonym” is a great word
A word or phrase used as a substitute for something with which it is closely associated, formed by back-formation from 'metonymy,' which is from Late Latin 'metonymia,' from Greek 'metōnymía,' meaning 'change of name' (from 'meta-', expressing change, + 'ónyma', 'name'), and first attested in English in 1862. Unlike 'metaphor,' which bridges through resemblance ('life is a journey'), or 'synecdoche,' which trades part for whole ('all hands on deck'), metonymy leans on contiguity and habitual connection. It is the quiet substitution of 'the crown' for royal authority, the distant hum of 'Wall Street' for high finance, or the clatter of 'the press' for the journalists who operate it—a linguistic shorthand that reveals how we map the world not through essence, but through the tangible objects and places that orbit it.
Etymology
Back-formation from metonymy.
noun
- A word that names an object from a single characteristic of it or of a closely related object; a word used in metonymy.e.g.“Calling a government a "city hall" is using a metonym.”
- A concept, idea, or word used to represent, typify, or stand in for a broader set of ideas.e.g.“See also: symbol, model, microcosm, archetype, exemplar, proxy”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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