51³Ô¹Ï

Advertisement

Advertisement

hyponym

[hahy-puh-nim]

noun

Linguistics.
  1. a term that denotes a subcategory of a more general class.

    “Chair†and “table†are hyponyms of “furniture.â€



hyponym

/ ˈhaɪpəʊnɪm, haɪˈpɒnəmɪ /

noun

  1. a word whose meaning is included in that of another word Compare superordinate synonym antonym

    `scarlet', `vermilion', and `crimson' are hyponyms of `red'

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms

  • hyponymous adjective
  • hyponymy noun
Discover More

51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of hyponym1

1960–65; hyp- + -onym, or as back formation from hyponymy
Discover More

51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of hyponym1

C20: from hypo- + Greek onoma name

Advertisement

Discover More

When To Use

What is a hyponym?

A hyponym is a word that is a subcategory of a more general category. Cookie, for example, would be a hyponym of the more general category of dessert. A cookie is a kind of dessert.In linguistics, a hyponym is any term that is a category that is a smaller part of a more general category. Couch and chair are hyponyms of living room furniture, and living room furniture is a hyponym of furniture. Every hyponym has a corresponding hypernym, a term that is the higher or more general category that the hyponym is a part of. For example, medium, meaning a means of communication, is a hypernym for terms like movie, book, and television, which are all hyponyms of medium.Example: Fruits and flowers are hyponyms of plants.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


hyponitrous acidhyponymy