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meronym
[ mer-uh-nim ]
/ ˈmɛr əˌnɪm /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
See also synecdoche.
Words nearby meronym
merocrine, Meroë, merogony, Meroite, meromorphic, meronym, Merope, meropia, meroplankton, Merops, meros
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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
Word Origin for meronym
from Greek meros part + onuma name
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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