From the OED: Penn Library-Oxford English Dictionary-Full Entry Display

Oxford English Dictionary

Full Entry Display


synecdoche

synecdoche sine.kdoki. Gram. and Rhet. Also 4-5 syn-, sinodoches, 5 synadochie, 6 sinecdochine, senec(h)doche, 6-7 synechdoche, 7 sinecdoche, synegdoche, synechdochie. Also anglicized 6 sinecdoch. a. late L. synecdoche (in med.L. sinodoche, whence obs. Fr. synodoche), a. Gr. sunekdoxh', f. sunekde'xesqai lit. to take with something else, f. su'n syn-1 + ekde'xesqai to take, take up. Cf. Fr. synecdoche, -doque, Ital. sineddoche, Sp. siné(c)doque, Pg. synecdoche. The form sinecdochine represents the acc. synecdochen, sunekdoxh'n, and synodoches is a new nom. formed upon it; cf. syncopis, -in, s.v. syncope.

A figure by which a more comprehensive term is used for a less comprehensive or < i>vice versâ; as whole for part or part for whole, genus for species or species for genus, etc.

Formerly sometimes used loosely or vaguely, and not infrequently misexplained.


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