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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.

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Nearby words

  1. monday morning quarterback,
  2. monday-morning quarterback,
  3. mondayize,
  4. mondays,
  5. monde,
  6. mondeo man,
  7. mondial,
  8. mondini dysplasia,
  9. mondo,
  10. mondo grass
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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