n.
Pronunciation: s ə - ' nek-d ə -( ˌ )k ē
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from Greek synekdoch ē , from syn- + ekdoch ē sense, interpretation, from ekdechesthai to receive, understand, from ex from + dechesthai to receive; akin to Greek dokein to seem good ― more at EX- , DECENT
Date: 15th century
: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships ), the whole for a part (as society for high society ), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin ), the genus for the species (as a creature for a man ), or the name of the material for the thing made (as boards for stage )
– syn · ec · doch · ic \ ˌ si- ˌ nek- ' dä-kik \ adjective
– syn · ec · doch · i · cal \ - ' dä-ki-k ə l \ adjective
– syn · ec · doch · i · cal · ly \ -ki-k( ə -)l ē \ adverb