Words Seldom Seen: Metonym

Metonym

Noun: A word, expression or name, used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated.

Example: Hollywood is a metonym for the movie business.

Pronunciation click here, and then press the little blue speaker.

How is a metonym different than a synonym? A metonym uses a word or phrase, symbolically, to refer to something else, whereas a synonym means that the item referred to is the same or very similar. I’m a little hazy on this one.

The photo is of a very famous butte in Canyon de Chelly.


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