mondegreen

[ mon-di-green ]
/ ˈmɒn dɪˌgrin /

noun

a word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of another word or phrase, especially in a song or poem.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Compare eggcorn. See also malapropism.

Origin of mondegreen

1954; coined by Sylvia Wright, U.S. writer, from the line laid him on the green, interpreted as Lady Mondegreen, in a Scottish ballad

Words nearby mondegreen

monday morning quarterback, monday-morning quarterback, mondayize, mondays, monde, mondegreen, mondeo man, mondial, mondini dysplasia, mondo, mondo grass
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Content related to mondegreen

What’s It Called When You Misinterpret Lyrics?Have you ever heard someone sing the wrong lyrics to a song? There's a word for that.
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British Dictionary definitions for mondegreen

mondegreen
/ (ˈmɒndɪˌɡriːn) /

noun

a word or phrase that is misinterpreted as another word or phrase, usually with an amusing result

Word Origin for mondegreen

C20: from the Scottish ballad `The Bonny Earl of Murray', in which the line laid him on the green can be misheard as Lady Mondegreen
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