hyponym

American  

[hahy-puh-nim] / ˈhaɪ pə nɪm /

noun

Linguistics.

1. a term that denotes a subcategory of a more general class.

   “Chair” and “table” are hyponyms of “furniture.”

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hyponym British  

/ ˈhaɪpəʊnɪm, haɪˈpɒnəmɪ /

noun

1. a word whose meaning is included in that of another word Compare superordinate synonym antonym

   `scarlet', `vermilion', and `crimson' are hyponyms of `red'

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Usage

What is a hyponym? A hyponym is a word that is a subcategory of a more general category. Cookie, for example, would be a hyponym of the more general category of dessert. A cookie is a kind of dessert. In linguistics, a hyponym is any term that is a category that is a smaller part of a more general category. Couch and chair are hyponyms of living room furniture, and living room furniture is a hyponym of furniture. Every hyponym has a corresponding hypernym, a term that is the higher or more general category that the hyponym is a part of. For example, medium, meaning a means of communication, is a hypernym for terms like movie, book, and television, which are all hyponyms of medium. Example: Fruits and flowers are hyponyms of plants.

Other Word Forms

• hyponymous adjective
• hyponymy noun

Etymology

Origin of hyponym

1960–65; hyp- + -onym, or as back formation from hyponymy

Explanation

A hyponym is a word that's defined by another word but is a lot more specific. "Cocker spaniel" is a hyponym of "dog." In linguistics, some words, known as hypernyms, are generic "umbrella terms" that cover a wide range of things. Hyponyms, on the other hand, are specific words that fall under that umbrella. "Music" is a hypernym, and "rock and roll," "jazz," "opera," and "folk" are all hyponyms. The Greek roots of hyponym are hypo, "under," and onyma, "name."