appellative
Americannoun
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a descriptive name or designation, as Bald in Charles the Bald.
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a common noun.
adjective
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designative; descriptive.
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tending toward or serving for the assigning of names.
the appellative function of some primitive rites.
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pertaining to a common noun.
noun
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an identifying name or title; appellation
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grammar another word for common noun
adjective
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of or relating to a name or title
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(of a proper noun) used as a common noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of appellative
1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin appellātīvus. See appellate, -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now a taxidermied water buffalo head — the ox — watches from above the bar, while the appellative bull is represented across from it in gleaming metal.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
GEORGE'S, the name being suggested, in the first place, by the baptismal appellative of their virtual founder and Hon. Sec.,
From The Exploits and Triumphs, in Europe, of Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion by Frederick Milnes Edge
It is indeed easy to conceive, that Simon might have been commonly distinguished by either appellative, but this we can only conjecture; neither Evangelist adds a word to explain the point.
From An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by Simon Greenleaf
A common name, or appellative, stands for a whole class, genus, or species of beings, or for universal ideas.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Noah Webster
To the root ud place as an appellative the Obs.
From The River-Names of Europe by Robert Ferguson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
