metonymy
[ mi-ton-uh-mee ]
/ mɪˈtɒn ə mi /
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noun Rhetoric.
a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use metonymy in a sentence
For a time it seems not so important to classify the metonymies as to make peas or dandelion taste like coffee.
The Story of a Life|J. Breckenridge Ellis
British Dictionary definitions for metonymy
metonymy
/ (mɪˈtɒnɪmɪ) /
noun plural -mies
the substitution of a word referring to an attribute for the thing that is meant, as for example the use of the crown to refer to a monarchCompare synecdoche
Derived forms of metonymy
metonymical (ˌmɛtəˈnɪmɪkəl) or metonymic, adjectivemetonymically, adverbWord Origin for metonymy
C16: from Late Latin from Greek: a changing of name, from meta- (indicating change) + onoma name
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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