metonymy

• Figura retórica que consiste en designar una cosa con el nombre de otra con la que tiene una relación de contigüidad o causa-efecto, como usar 'las cabezas' por 'las personas' o 'la corona' por 'el rey'.

A figure of speech in which the name of an attribute or feature is substituted for the name of the thing itself, as in 'they counted heads' to mean people.

1. C1formal

   A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it, such as using 'the crown' to refer to the monarchy.

   Metonimia (figura retórica)

   • In the phrase 'the pen is mightier than the sword,' 'pen' is a metonymy for writing and 'sword' for military force.
   • 'The White House issued a statement' uses metonymy, where the building stands for the president and their administration.
   • 'Hollywood is known for its movies' is a metonymy, as the place name represents the American film industry.