mə̇ˈtänəmē, meˈ-, -əmi noun
( -es )
Etymology: Latin metonymia, from Greek metōnymia, from meta- + -ōnymia -onymy
: a figure of speech that consists in using the name of one thing for that of something else with which it is associated (as in “spent the evening reading Shakespeare ”, “lands belonging to the crown ”, “demanded action by City Hall ”, “ogling the heavily mascaraed skirt at the next table”) : use of one word for another that it may be expected to suggest — compare trope