synecdoche
Say it: sih-NEK-duh-kee /sɪˈnɛkdəki/ · noun
What “synecdoche” means
Using a part to mean the whole, or the whole a part.
More precisely: A figure of speech where a part stands for the whole, or vice versa.
Example: “'All hands on deck' is a synecdoche: hands stand for whole sailors.”
When to use it
When discussing expressions where a body part, object part or whole thing stands for something larger or smaller.
Similar words
figure of speech, part for whole
Where it comes from
Greek sunekdokhē, 'taking together'.
Quick check
Your friend calls her new car her wheels, using one part to mean the whole vehicle. Which device is that?
synecdoche or metonymy?
Show the answer
synecdoche
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