Examples from common English expressions include "suits" (for "businessmen"), "boots" (for "soldiers") (pars pro toto), and "America" (for "the United States of America", totum pro parte). The word sails is a part of a ship that can also be used to refer to a whole ship as an synecdoche example. He says: "So the whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death rankly abused," to imply that the whole population of Denmark has heard about his death. When people say "The New York Times" printed a new story, they mean one specific journalist wrote a new piece. Figurative language comes in many shapes and sizes. Metonymy is often confused with another figure of speech called “synecdoche.” These devices resemble one another, but are not the same. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Because it colors ordinary rhetoric, synecdoche is a favorite in poetry and music lyrics. GHOST: Now, Hamlet, hear. Tags: Question 6 . You ride in a car, so it's a related word, but it's not an element of a car. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that need support; shoulders that need arms, strong arms I'm telling you.". In truth, some synecdoche are a form of metonymy. 2. While metonymy replaces a concept or object entirely with a related term, synecdochetakes an element of the object and uses it to refer to the whole, and metaphor uses unlike things to draw an interesting comparison. Admittedly a synecdoche for lots of other things, like scalability, code quality, test coverage, &c. Here's the real meta/synecdoche subtext:>oh, Jesus, I once had dreams of being a Pulitzer-winning series about Congo. If you said "check out my new wheels," "wheels" is an example of synecdoche, used to refer to a "car." Notice how car has been entirely replaced by another word. Learn more. Adjective: synecdochic, synecdochical, or synecdochal. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Examples of Metonymy in a sentence. The word “bread” refers to food or money, as in “Writing is my bread and butter,” or “He is the sole breadwinner.” 2. For example, the term America may refer to the continent of South America or the continent of North America. In a metonymy, on the other hand, the word we use to describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is not a part of it. The word "bread" can be used to represent food in general or money (e.g. Whole sentence used to deliver a part of something: During 2010, in the Winter Olympics, Canada added glory by winning 14 gold medals for the country. Examples of Synecdoche in Literature. These cookies do not store any personal information. The literary term synecdoche-- confusing a part for a whole -- is helpful in understanding how late twentieth-century Americans constructed an image of youth in crisis, as shocking episodes reinforced an impression that childhood was disintegrating. You may also see irony examples. Referring to a helper as a "hand." Let's use our example relating to the car again. Examples of Synecdoche in Poetry. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Current-Day Examples Here are some common examples of the use of synecdoche that we totally understand: Another word for synecdoche. For example, "Let's take my new ride out for a spin." The phrase “gray beard” refers to an old man. The word "plastic" is commonly used to refer to credit cards. 3. The word "sails" is often used to refer to a whole ship. Each element transforms everyday language into something more interesting or thought-provoking. Remember that synecdoche refers to parts and wholes of a thing, metonymy to a related term. Synecdoche can also operate in the other direction referring to the whole when When people refer to their car as their "wheels… The word “boots” usually refers to soldiers. Sometimes we refer to the United States as "America" when the "Americas" is actually made up of a few different countries. For example, people often refer to a car as "a set of wheels". True or False: "Ask for her hand in marriage," is an example of a synecdoche. Before we take a walk down this multi-colored lane, let's clear the air regarding the confusion between synecdoche and metonymy. - The whole is used as the part. He or she may have heard of alliteration, onomatopoeia, metonymy, synecdoche, and chiasmus. By referring to the individual parts of the the body as having their own needs, she adds more value to the whole. He is using “ears” figuratively to refer to the whole person, stating that he wants their attention. The word “suit” refers to a businessman. True. 3. A synecdoche may use a word or phrase as a class to express more or less than the word or phrase actually means. There are several different forms of synecdoche. Synecdoche definition is - a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (such as society for high society), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage). He’s actually referring to someone who’s attended the English university and is a person of a certain class, wealth, and learning. False. The important thing to keep in mind is that you're always going to be dealing with parts and wholes. This phrase uses metonymy (pronounced mi-ton–uh-mee), which is a figure of speech that replaces words with related or associated words. One common form of synecdoche uses a body part (hand, heart, head, eyes, etc.) For example, the word “crown” is used to refer to poweror authorit… , Some people synecdoche by calling their all of their credit cards plastic. When a golfer plays with their "woods" they are referring to their longest golf clubs. Take this quote from Toni Morrison's Beloved: "This is flesh I'm talking about here. An example of this is the Canadian dollar, referred to as the loonie for the image of a bird on the one-dollar coin. When a guy refers to his car as his ride, he is using a metonymy. While a synecdoche takes an element of a word or phrase and uses it to refer to the whole, a metonymy replaces the word or phrase entirely with a related concept. Synecdoche, figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, as in the expression “hired hands” for workmen or, less commonly, the whole represents a part, as in the use of the word “society” to mean high society. Referring to the alphabet as the "ABCs." Examples of Synecdoche: 1. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche, as a part of a car – the “wheel” – stands for the whole car. But know, thou noble youth, Now wears his crown. The word "head" can refer to counting cattle or people. He, however, says that this substitution, along with many others, characterizes synecdoche. A synecdoche is a class of metonymy, often by means of either mentioning a part for the whole or conversely the whole for one of its parts. To make sure you're fully aware of each angle, let's examine the most popular varieties of synecdoche. Flesh that needs to be loved. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. The intent of synecdoche is to deviate from a literal term in order to spice up everyday language. Synecdoche (sih-NECK-duh-key) is a figure of speech where part of something stands in for the whole thing (like using wheels to refer to a car) or, less frequently, when a whole thing stands in for part of it (society used to reference high society).. 2)His parents bought him a new set of wheels. So, the next time you want to write about the sun shining on the ocean, think about the individual parts, maybe the bright rays catching the waves, and you'll soon enter into the ranks of synecdoche superiority. Let us look at some of the examples of synecdoche that we often hear in casual conversations: 1. (The whole sentence is used to signify the part "Canada won 14 gold medals.") We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. How to use Synecdoche in a sentence as a noun. ". , A common synecdoche used in everyday life is boots on the ground, where boots refers to a group of soldiers. In truth, synecdoche and metonymy have a lot in common and even grammarians can't always agree on whether an expression is synecdoche or metonymy. , A popular synecdoche for pirate ship is black sail. As … An example of a synecdoche is referring to a vehicle as "wheels," one policeman as "the police," cola as "Coke" and credit cards as "plastic." A part of a car, in this example, represents the whole of the car. When poets use synecdoche, they are … The word "ivories" is often used to denote piano keys, even though the keys are no longer made of ivory. The word "society" is often used to refer to a specific sector of society. In this respect, there is some blurring of the lines between synecdoche and metonymy. The definition of a synecdoche is a figure of speech using a word that is a part to represent a whole, a whole to represent a part or a material to represent an object. Example #5. “ Wheels are used to refer to a car, for example, “ my dad has brought me a new set of wheels. A popular synecdoche for pirate ship is black sail. The word "police" can be used to represent one or several officers. The pen is mightier than the sword. Generations of writers have used synecdoche in both poetry and prose. Example #2. 2. 4. to stand in for an entire person. Find more ways to say synecdoche, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Some people refer to any variety of cola as "Coke". Referring to cows as "heads" of cattle. Synecdoche is a literary device that refers to a whole as one of its parts. The term is often used to mean the United States, however, which … Consider some common examples in our speech today. In this familiar Shakespearean line from the play "Julius Caesar," Mark Anthony was not asking if he could literally borrow ears. For example, someone might refer to her car as her “wheels,” or a teacher might ask his class to put their eyes on him as he explains something. 30 seconds . Here, the word “ears” is a part replacing the whole person, or the person’s attention. Although literally a pen has no power over a sword, we understand this phrase means that the written word and the sharing of ideas, are more powerful than fighting, or physical force. 4. "Pentagon" often refers to a few decision-making generals. Good ol' fashioned newspapers are referred to as "papers. he is the breadwinner; music is my bread and butter). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. All types of figurative language stand to create a bright, new image in the minds of readers. Any bit of polystyrene is referred to as "Styrofoam". What is synecdoche? In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, he refers to Gatsby as an "Oxford man." 3. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. For example, the wheels are one part of a car. When you refer to the film industry as Hollywood, you’re using a metonymy by calling one subject a name that equates to it. Updated February 22, 2019 Synecdoche (pronounced si-NEK-di-key) is a trope or figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole (for example, ABCs for alphabet) or (less commonly) the whole is used to represent a part (" England won the World Cup in 1966"). Example #4. A synecdoche may use part of something to represent the whole. The word “sails” refers to a whole ship. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. When a whole is used as the part or a part of a thing is put for the whole. Example #1. Instead of referring to each coin, merchants employed a synecdoc… Rankly abused. All adhesive bandages are commonly referred to as "Band-Aids". It's easy to confuse synecdoche and metonymy because they both use a word or phrase to represent something else (some even consider synecdoche a type of metonymy). In the same way a synecdoche can use a part to represent a whole, it can also use the whole to represent a part. 3)There sits my animal guarding the door to the hen house. To go for a walk in the "woods" means to go for a walk in a forest-like setting. "Milk" is commonly used to refer to cow's milk when there are many sources of milk i.e. Here are some examples of synecdoche: 1)The ship was lost with all hands. Examples of Synecdoche in a sentence A synecdoche is often used in classical literature as a form of symbolism that references a group by using a single noun. , $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["45ba4f61-76ac-4b3d-94d4-c9019d2ebe3c"]); }), $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["418b1e7b-a189-47b4-952a-43e52a926ad5"]); }), $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["9b588b9a-598a-47f4-bc83-ba2fd303e5df"]); }). The material used to make something - or what was used in the past - is often used to represent the entire object. Everyday cutlery may be referred to as "silverware," even though they're not actually made of silver. synecdoche definition: 1. a word or phrase in which a part of something is used to refer to the whole of it, for example…. 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