— antonomastic /an'teuh noh mas"tik/ , antonomastical , adj. — antonomastically , adv.
/an'teuh neuh may"zheuh/ , n.
1. Rhet. the identification of a person by an epithet or appellative that is not the person's name, as his lordship.
2. the use of the name of a person who was distinguished by a particular characteristic, as Don Juan or Annie Oakley, to designate a person or group of persons having the same characteristic.
[ 1580-90; antonomázein to call by a new name, equiv. to ant- ANT- + onomat- s. of ónoma NAME + -ia -IA ]