Added 9 October 2026
metaphor
/ˈmɛt.ə.fə/ noun
Latin root: metaphora Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about metaphor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity.
Origin
From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “to transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)