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What is an synonym?
What is a synonym?

synonym

 [sin-uh-nim]   Origin

syn·o·nym

   [sin-uh-nim]
noun
1.
a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another in the language, as joyful, elated, glad. A dictionary of synonyms and their opposites, or antonyms, such as Thesaurus.com is called a thesaurus.
2.
a word or expression accepted as another name for something, as Arcadia for pastoral simplicity; metonym.
3.
Biology. one of two or more scientific names applied to a single taxon.
Origin:
1400–50; < Latin synōnymum < Greek synṓnymon, noun use of neuter of synṓnymos synonymous; replacing Middle English sinonyme < Middle French < Latin, as above

Related forms
syn·o·nym·ic, syn·o·nym·i·cal, adjective
syn·o·nym·i·ty  [sin-uh-nim-i-tee] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Synonym is always a great word to know.
So is cell fusion. Does it mean:
the merging of two or more cells into a single cell
a taxonomic group of organisms classified together on the basis of homologous features traced to a common ancestor
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
synonym (ˈsɪnənɪm)
 
—n
1.  a word that means the same or nearly the same as another word, such as bucket and pail
2.  a word or phrase used as another name for something, such as Hellene for a Greek
3.  biology a taxonomic name that has been superseded or rejected
 
[C16: via Late Latin from Greek sunōnumon, from syn- + onoma name]
 
syno'nymic
 
—adj
 
syno'nymical
 
—adj
 
syno'nymity
 
—n

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

synonym
early 15c. (but rare before 18c.), from L. synonymum, from Gk. synonymon "word having the same sense as another," noun use of neut. of synonymos "having the same name as, synonymous," from syn- "together, same" + onyma, Aeolic dialectal form of onoma "name" (see name).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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