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mondegreen
[ mon-di-green ]
/ ˈmɒn dɪˌgrin /
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noun
a word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of another word or phrase, especially in a song or poem.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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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 Club, Mondayize, Monday morning quarterback, Mondays, monde, mondegreen, Mondeo Man, mondial, Mondini dysplasia, mondo, mondo grass
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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
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