metaphor
[ met-uh-fawr, -fer ]
/ ˈmɛt əˌfɔr, -fər /
noun
a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
Compare mixed metaphor, simile(def 1).
something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.
Origin of metaphor
OTHER WORDS FROM metaphor
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH metaphor
metaphor simileWords nearby metaphor
metapelet,
metaph.,
metaphase,
metaphase plate,
metaphen,
metaphor,
metaphosphate,
metaphosphoric acid,
metaphrase,
metaphrast,
metaphys.
Example sentences from the Web for metaphorical
British Dictionary definitions for metaphorical
metaphor
/ (ˈmɛtəfə, -ˌfɔː) /
noun
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance, for example he is a lion in battle
Compare simile
Derived forms of metaphor
metaphoric (ˌmɛtəˈfɒrɪk) or metaphorical, adjective metaphorically, adverb metaphoricalness, nounWord Origin for metaphor
C16: from Latin, from Greek
metaphora, from
metapherein to transfer, from
meta- +
pherein to bear
Cultural definitions for metaphorical
metaphor
The comparison of one thing to another without the use of like or as: “A man is but a weak reed”; “The road was a ribbon of moonlight.” Metaphors are common in literature and expansive speech. (Compare simile.)