misnomer
[ mis-noh-mer ]
/ mɪsˈnoʊ mər /
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noun
a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.
an error in naming a person or thing.
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Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of misnomer
words often confused with misnomer
Misnomer is not a fancy, more elevated word for mistake. Nor is it a synonym for misstatement, misconception, or misunderstanding. As the word's Latin etymon nōmināre (“to name”) tells us, a misnomer is a special kind of mistake: a wrong name. The consequences of a mistake can range from trivial to catastrophic—from typos to train wrecks. But a misnomer is often just embarrassing, like trying to impress a friend by referring to a Burgundy wine as a “Bordeaux.” Sometimes, however, what began as a misnomer has become a standard term: the game of Chinese checkers does not come from China; the funny bone is a nerve, not a bone; hay fever is not caused by hay and is not a fever; and a pregnant woman's morning sickness can occur at any time of day. Other kinds of mistakes or misunderstandings—giving a driver wrong directions, thinking that the earth is flat, drawing an erroneous conclusion—are not misnomers. In fact, the word misnomer when used to describe a behavioral mistake or a misperception of reality is itself a misnomer!
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH misnomer
misnomer , mistake (see confusables note at the current entry)Words nearby misnomer
mismarriage, mismatch, mismate, mismove, misname, misnomer, miso, misocainea, misogamy, misogynist, misogynistic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for misnomer
British Dictionary definitions for misnomer
misnomer
/ (ˌmɪsˈnəʊmə) /
noun
an incorrect or unsuitable name or term for a person or thing
the act of referring to a person by the wrong name
Word Origin for misnomer
C15: via Anglo-Norman from Old French mesnommer to misname, from Latin nōmināre to call by name
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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