Hard words:synecdoche

There are several different forms of synecdoche examples including:

A synecdoche may use part of something to represent the entire whole.
It may use an entire whole thing to represent a part of it.
It can use a word or phrase as a class that will express less or more than the word or phrase actually means.
It may use a group of things that refer to a larger group or use a large group to refer to a smaller group.
A synecdoche may also refer to an object by the material it is made from or refer to the contents in a container by the name of the container.

Here are examples of each type of synecdoche.

It is common in our language for part of something to be used to represent the whole.

For example:

The word “bread” can be used to represent food in general or money (e.g. he is the breadwinner; music is my bread and butter).
The word “sails” is often used to refer to a whole ship.
The phrase “hired hands” can be used to refer to workmen.
The word “head” refers to cattle.
The word “wheels” refers to a vehicle.

Using the whole to refer to a part is also a common practice in speech today.

For example:

At the Olympics, you will hear that the United States won a gold medal in an event. That actually means a team from the United States, not the country as a whole.
If “the world” is not treating you well, that would not be the entire world but just a part of it that you’ve encountered.
The word “society” is often used to refer to high society or the social elite.
The word “police” can be used to represent only one or a few police officers.
The “pentagon” can refer to a few decision-making generals.
“Capitol Hill” refers to both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.

Published by Katherine