51Թ

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metaphor

[met-uh-fawr, -fer]

noun

  1. 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.”

  2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.



metaphor

/ -ˌfɔː, ˌmɛtəˈfɒrɪk, ˈmɛtəfə /

noun

  1. 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

“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

metaphor

  1. 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.)

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Other 51Թ Forms

  • metaphorical adjective
  • metaphoric adjective
  • ˌٲˈǰ adverb
  • ˌٲˈǰԱ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of metaphor1

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin metaphora, from Greek ٲǰá “a transfer,” akin to ٲé𾱲 “to transfer”; meta-, -phore
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of metaphor1

C16: from Latin, from Greek metaphora, from metapherein to transfer, from meta- + pherein to bear
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It was an appropriate metaphor for the rest of the chase.

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“Shooting the messenger” is a metaphor for blaming those who bring you news that you do not want to hear.

From

These are all metaphors for the American people and their failing democracy in the Age of Trump.

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It's hard to imagine a better metaphor for the way in which Jacob's music can soothe and heal.

From

This is an apt metaphor for the show’s reset and the middle-age ideal: a late summer harvest that can be sweet but is prone to drought and blight nevertheless.

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Metaphenmetaphorical