Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: French
Origin: métaphore, from Latin, from Greek metaphora, from meta- ( META-) + pherein 'to carry'

metaphor

 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: LITERATURE
met‧a‧phor [uncountable and countable]
1AL a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing [↪ simile]:
She uses some wonderful images and metaphors in her writing.
a very creative use of metaphor
2

mixed metaphor

AL the use of two different metaphors at the same time to describe something, especially in a way that seems silly or funny
3 something that represents a general idea or quality
metaphor for
Their relationship is a metaphor for the failure of communication in the modern world.
WORD FOCUS: phrase WORD FOCUS: phrase
similar words: expression, idiom, cliche, metaphor, saying, turn of phrase

➔ See also phrase
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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