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misnomer

[mis-noh-mer]

noun

a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.

an error in naming a person or thing.

Origin:
1425–75; late Middle English < Anglo-French, noun use of Middle French mesnomer to misname, equivalent to mes- mis-¹ + nomer < Latin nōmināre; see nominate

Can be confused: misnomer, mistake (see synonym note at mistake).

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Misnomer is always a great word to know.

So is interrobang. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

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Example Sentences

Early archaeologists can be forgiven the misnomer, though.

The good news is that the title of this book is a bit of a misnomer, since it isn't a fad diet consisting only of rice.

The name, however, is a bit of a misnomer.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

misnomer (ˌmɪsˈnəʊmə)

—n
1.	an incorrect or unsuitable name or term for a person or thing
2.	the act of referring to a person by the wrong name

[C15: via Anglo-Norman from Old French mesnommer to misname, from Latin nōmināre to call by name]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

misnomer

mid-15c., from Anglo-Fr., from M.Fr. mesnomer "to misname," from mes- "wrongly" (see mis- (2)) + nomer "to name," from L. nominare "nominate" (see nominate).

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"Working mother" is a misnomer. . . . It implies that any mother without a definite career is lolling around eating bon- bons, reading novels, and watching soap opera. But the word "mother" is already a synonym for some of the hardest, most demanding work ever shouldered by any human. . . . It is one she cannot easily give up for several decades. It can be slavery, joy in work, a magnificent career. It can be failure or triumph, but it can never be insignificant or unimportant since it is one "job" affecting the outcome of another's life"

-Liz Smith

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misnomer

mis·no·mer