METONYMY Janelle Smith

Definition  Metonymy: substitution of some attributive or suggestive word for what is actually meant.

What is a Metonymy?  Metonymies are very similar to Synecdoches  Both serve to define a part of a whole  Metonymies differ because they can be placed in a sentence instead of the whole  The most important point is that metonymies are links between ideas which are not always clearly stated

How Do I Use One?  A good example...  “I have nothing to offer but blood, soil, tears, and sweat.” (Sir Winston Churchill)  In using a metonymy we substitute one thing for another such as the word crown for royalty. The meaning of crown is inferred and based off of an understanding of the context it is being used in.

More Examples  “The pen is mightier than the sword” refers to the pen as literary works and the sword as military force.  “He writes with a fine hand” does not literally his hand is fine, but tells us that he has good handwriting.