definitions

mixed metaphor

noun

the use in the same expression of two or more metaphors that are incongruous or illogical when combined, as in “The president will put the ship of state on its feet.”

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Nearby words

mixed language, mixed layer, mixed lymphocyte culture test, mixed marriage, mixed media, mixed metaphor, mixed nerve, mixed number, mixed paralysis, mixed tumor, mixed-flow turbine

Origin of mixed metaphor

First recorded in 1790–1800
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for mixed metaphor

mixed metaphor

noun

a combination of incongruous metaphors, as when the Nazi jackboots sing their swan song
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