homograph

[ hom-uh-graf, -grahf, hoh-muh- ]

/ ˈhɒm əˌgræf, -ˌgrɑf, ˈhoʊ mə- /

noun

a word of the same written form as another but of different meaning and usually origin, whether pronounced the same way or not, as bear1 “to carry; support” and bear2 “animal” or lead1 “to conduct” and lead2 “metal.”

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“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

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Origin of homograph

First recorded in 1800–10; homo- + -graph

SYNONYMS FOR homograph

See homonym.

OTHER WORDS FROM homograph

hom·o·graph·ic

[hom-uh-graf-ik, hoh-muh-] /ˌhɒm əˈgræf ɪk, ˌhoʊ mə-/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH homograph

homograph homonym homophone (see synonym study at homonym)

Words nearby homograph

homogentisuria, homogeny, homogonous, homogony, homograft, homograph, homoio-, homoiotherm, homoiothermal, homoiothermic, homoiousian

British Dictionary definitions for homographs

homograph

/ (ˈhɒməˌɡræf, -ˌɡrɑːf) /

noun

one of a group of words spelt in the same way but having different meaningsCompare heteronym

Derived forms of homograph

homographic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012