Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Homonym

Hom′o-nym

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
homonyme
. See
Homonymous
.]
A word having the same sound as another, but differing from it in meaning; as the noun bear and the verb bear.
[Written also
homonyme
.]

Definition 2024


Homonym

Homonym

See also: homonym

German

Noun

Homonym n (genitive Homonyms, plural Homonyme)

  1. (semantics) homonym (word with the same sound and spelling as another but different meaning)

Declension

Derived terms

  • Homonymie

Related terms

homonym

homonym

See also: Homonym

English

Noun

homonym (plural homonyms)

  1. (semantics, strict sense) A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning.
  2. (loosely) A word that sounds or is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning, technically called a homophone (same sound) or a homograph (same spelling).
  3. (taxonomy) A name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another name that belongs to a different taxon.

Usage notes

  • Homonyms (in the looser sense) are divided into the two overlapping subcategories homographs and homophones. Examples:
    • die and dye (homophones but not homographs)
    • the parasitic flatworm called a fluke and fluke, part of the tail of a whale (both homophones and homographs and therefore true homonyms in the strict sense)
    • the metal lead and the present tense of the verb lead (homographs but not homophones)

Related terms

Translations

See also

An Euler diagram showing the relationship between these -nyms.
Different Meanings
nym Sound Spelling Category
homonym same same
heteronym different same (cat)
homograph not specified same
homophone same different (cat)
heterophone different different
synonym different different

Swedish

Noun

homonym n, c

  1. homonym

Declension

Inflection of homonym 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative homonym homonymen homonymer homonymerna
Genitive homonyms homonymens homonymers homonymernas