homonym
- 4 dictionary resultshom⋅o⋅nym
[hom-uh-nim] 
ə
–noun
| 1. | homophone (def. 1). |
| 2. | a word the same as another in sound and spelling but different in meaning, as chase “to pursue” and chase “to ornament metal.” |
| 3. | (loosely) homograph. |
| 4. | a namesake. |
| 5. | Biology. a name given to a species or genus that has been assigned to a different species or genus and that is therefore rejected. |
nymon,Related forms:
hom⋅o⋅nym⋅ic, adjective
hom⋅o⋅nym⋅i⋅ty, noun
Synonyms:
1, 2, 3. Homonym, homophone, and homograph designate words that are identical to other words in spelling or pronunciation, or both, while differing from them in meaning and usually in origin. Homophones are words that sound alike, whether or not they are spelled differently. The words pear “fruit,” pare “cut off,” and pair “two of a kind” are homophones that are different in spelling; bear “carry; support” and bear “animal” are homophones that are spelled alike. Homographs are words that are spelled identically but may or may not share a pronunciation. Spruce “tree” and spruce “neat” are homographs, but so are row [roh] “line” and row [rou] “fight” as well as sewer [soo-er] “conduit for waste” and sewer [soh-er] “person who sews.” Homonyms are, in the strictest sense, both homophones and homographs, alike in spelling and pronunciation, as the two forms bear. Homonym, however, is used more frequently than homophone, a technical term, when referring to words with the same pronunciation without regard to spelling. Homonym is also used as a synonym of homograph. Thus, it has taken on a broader scope than either of the other two terms and is often the term of choice in a nontechnical context.
1, 2, 3. Homonym, homophone, and homograph designate words that are identical to other words in spelling or pronunciation, or both, while differing from them in meaning and usually in origin. Homophones are words that sound alike, whether or not they are spelled differently. The words pear “fruit,” pare “cut off,” and pair “two of a kind” are homophones that are different in spelling; bear “carry; support” and bear “animal” are homophones that are spelled alike. Homographs are words that are spelled identically but may or may not share a pronunciation. Spruce “tree” and spruce “neat” are homographs, but so are row [roh]
“line” and row [rou] “fight” as well as sewer [soo-er] “conduit for waste” and sewer [soh-er] “person who sews.” Homonyms are, in the strictest sense, both homophones and homographs, alike in spelling and pronunciation, as the two forms bear. Homonym, however, is used more frequently than homophone, a technical term, when referring to words with the same pronunciation without regard to spelling. Homonym is also used as a synonym of homograph. Thus, it has taken on a broader scope than either of the other two terms and is often the term of choice in a nontechnical context.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To homonym
| hom·o·nym (hŏm'ə-nĭm', hō'mə-) n.
[Latin homōnymum, from Greek homōnumon, from neuter of homōnumos, homonymous; see homonymous.] hom'o·nym'ic adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Homonym
Hom"o*nym\, n. [Cf. F. homonyme. See Homonymous.] A word having the same sound as another, but differing from it in meaning; as the noun bear and the verb bear. [Written also homonyme.]
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : homonym
Spanish:
homónimo,
German:
das Homonym,
Japanese:
同音異義語
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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