Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English


metonymy noun

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/metˈɒn.ə.mi//məˈtɑː.nə-/ n [U] specialized

Definition

when something is referred to by a word which describes a quality or feature of that thing

metonym noun

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/ˈmet.ə.nɪm//ˈmet ̬-/ n [C]

metonymic adjective

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/ˌmetˈɒn.ə.mɪk//ˌməˈtɑː.nə-/ adj

(Definition of metonymy noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Word of the Day

get in a sweat

to worry

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More