eponym

[ ep-uh-nim ]
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noun
  1. a person, real or imaginary, from whom a place or thing takes or is said to take its name: Brut, the supposed grandson of Aeneas, is the eponym of the Britons.

  2. a word based on or derived from a person's name.

  1. any ancient official whose name was used to designate his year of office.

Origin of eponym

1
First recorded in 1840–50; back formation from eponymous

Other words from eponym

  • ep·o·nym·ic [ep-uh-nim-ik], /ˌɛp əˈnɪm ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby eponym

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How to use eponym in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eponym

eponym

/ (ˈɛpəˌnɪm) /


noun
  1. a name, esp a place name, derived from the name of a real or mythical person, as for example Constantinople from Constantine I

  2. the name of the person from which such a name is derived: in the Middle Ages, "Brutus" was thought to be the eponym of "Britain"

Origin of eponym

1
C19: from Greek epōnumos giving a significant name

Derived forms of eponym

  • eponymic, adjective

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