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
CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?
Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!
Question 1 of 11
“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
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