Homonym vs. Synonym
Homonymnoun
A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word.
Homonymnoun
(loosely) A word that sounds or is spelled the same as another word, technically called a homophone (same sound) or a homograph (same spelling).
Homonymnoun
(taxonomy) A name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another name that belongs to a different taxon.
Homonymnoun
A word having the same sound as another, but differing from it in meaning; as the noun bear and the verb bear.
Homonymnoun
two words are homonyms if they are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings
Homonymnoun
each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins.
Homonymnoun
a Latin name which is identical to that of a different organism, the newer of the two names being invalid.
Homonym
In linguistics, homonyms, broadly defined, are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation) or homophones (words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both. For example, according to this definition, the words row (propel with oars), row (argument) and row (a linear arrangement) are homonyms, as are the words see (vision) and sea (body of water).
Synonymnoun
A word whose meaning is the same as that of another word.
Synonymnoun
A word or phrase with a meaning that is the same as, or very similar to, another word or phrase.
Synonymnoun
(zoology) Any of the formal names for a taxon, including the valid name (i.e. the senior synonym).
Synonymnoun
Any name for a taxon, usually a validly published, formally accepted one, but often also an unpublished name.
Synonymnoun
(databases) An alternative (often shorter) name defined for an object in a database.
Synonymnoun
One of two or more words (commonly words of the same language) which are equivalents of each other; one of two or more words which have very nearly the same signification, and therefore may often be used interchangeably. See under Synonymous.
Synonymnoun
An incorrect or incorrectly applied scientific name, as a new name applied to a species or genus already properly named, or a specific name preoccupied by that of another species of the same genus; - so used in the system of nomenclature (which see) in which the correct scientific names of certain natural groups (usually genera, species, and subspecies) are regarded as determined by priority.
Synonymnoun
One of two or more words corresponding in meaning but of different languages; a heteronym.
Synonymnoun
two words that can be interchanged in a context are said to be synonymous relative to that context
Synonymnoun
a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example shut is a synonym of close
Synonymnoun
a person or thing so closely associated with a particular quality or idea that the mention of their name calls it to mind
Synonymnoun
a taxonomic name which has the same application as another, especially one which has been superseded and is no longer valid.
Synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in the same language. For example, the words begin, start, commence, and initiate are all synonyms of one another; they are synonymous.
