me·ton·y·my

[mi-ton-uh-mee]
noun Rhetoric.
a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”
Origin:
1540–50; < Late Latin metōnymia < Greek metōnymía change of name; see met-, -onym, -y3

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World English Dictionary
metonymy (mɪˈtɒnɪmɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -mies
Compare synecdoche the substitution of a word referring to an attribute for the thing that is meant, as for example the use of the crown to refer to a monarch
 
[C16: from Late Latin from Greek: a changing of name, from meta- (indicating change) + onoma name]
 
metonymical
 
—adj
 
meto'nymic
 
—adj
 
meto'nymically
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Metonymy is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

metonymy
1560s, from Gk. metonymia, lit. "a change of name," from meta- "change" (see meta-) + onyma, dial. of onoma "name" (see name). Figure in which the name of one thing is used in place of another that is suggested by or associated with it (e.g. the Kremlin for "the Russian government").
Related: Metonymic
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

metonymy me·ton·y·my (mə-tŏn'ə-mē)
n.
In schizophrenia, a language disturbance in which an inappropriate but related word is used in place of the correct one.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

metonymy

(from Greek metonymia, "change of name," or "misnomer"), figure of speech in which the name of an object or concept is replaced with a word closely related to or suggested by the original, as "crown" to mean "king" ("The power of the crown was mortally weakened") or an author for his works ("I'm studying Shakespeare"). A familiar Shakespearean example is Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar in which he asks of his audience: "Lend me your ears."

Learn more about metonymy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
It's simple metonymy is what I'm saying.
In academic language, this is metonymy: the part can stand in for the whole.
Explains importance of metonymy in reading and teaching these stories.
The editors of the book have not succumbed to the current mania for metonymy that has infected some recent art picture books.
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