catachresis en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌkæt.əˈkɹiː.sɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin catachrēsis, borrowed from Ancient Greek κατάχρησις (katákhrēsis, “misuse (of a word)”).
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) Either of two types of misuse of a word or misapplication of a concept. ▸ A misuse of a word; an application of a term to something which it does not properly denote.
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(countable, especially, often, uncountable) Either of two types of misuse of a word or misapplication of a concept. ▸ A misuse of a word; an application of a term to something which it does not properly denote. ▸ Such a misuse involving some similarity of sound between the misused word and the appropriate word.
Near-synonym: malapropism (precisely hyponymous, in which sense only absurd and laughable catachreses are malapropisms)
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(countable, rhetoric, uncountable) Either of two types of misuse of a word or misapplication of a concept. ▸ A misapplication or overextension of a figurative or analogical description; a wrongly applied metaphor or trope.
A Catachresis terms abused receives, And epithets and attributes improper gives.
1835, L[arret] Langley, “[The Seven Tropes.] Catachresis.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 14:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| catechresis | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| katachresis | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| catachreses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
catachrestic · catachrestically · eggcorn · catachresized · catachrestical · catechesis · misnomer · phantonym
Synonyms
abusio · malapropism[Appendix:Glossary
Translations (25)
pl katachreza (misuse of a word) · ru катахре́за ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · la catachresis (misuse of a word) · eo katakrezo (misuse of a word) · fr catachrèse (misuse of a word) · ca catacresi (misuse of a word) · fi (sanan) väärä käyttö (misuse of a word) · ru катахре́за (misuse of a word) · de Katachrese ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · pt catacrese (misuse of a word) · oc catacrèsi (misuse of a word) · sv katakres (misuse of a word) · es catacresis ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · ja 濫喩 (misuse of a word) · pl katachreza ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · scn catàcrisi (misuse of a word) · pt catacrese ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · scn catacrisi (misuse of a word) · fi katakreesi ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · it catacresi ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · oc catacrèsi ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · fr catachrèse ((rhetoric) bad metaphor or trope) · no katakrese (misuse of a word) · es impropiedad léxica (misuse of a word) · cmn 訛轉 /讹转 (misuse of a word)