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n. pl. me·ton·y·mies A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power. [Late Latin metōnymia, from Greek metōnumiā : meta-, meta- + onuma, name; see n-men- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] met′o·nymic (mĕt′ə-nĭmĭk), met′o·nymi·cal adj. met′o·nymi·cal·ly adv. |
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