meronym
[ mer-uh-nim ]
noun
a term that specifies a part of something but that refers to the whole of the thing, as, for example, the word hands in “needing more hands to finish the project,” where hands refers to people, and the term set of wheels in “driving a new set of wheels,” where set of wheels refers to an automobile.
Origin of meronym
1- See also synecdoche.
Words Nearby meronym
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for meronym
meronym
/ (ˈmɛrəʊˌnɪm) /
noun
a part of something used to refer to the whole, such as faces meaning people, as in they've seen a lot of faces come and go
Origin of meronym
1from Greek meros part + onuma name
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
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