(thing) by Sylvar Tue Jul 24 2001 at 19:21:40
A word or phrase used as a symbol for a related subject.

Someone who was involved in road rage may say:

"That maniac nearly hit me!"

What they really mean is:

"That maniac's car nearly hit my car!"

Similarly, we use "the Crown" to refer to a monarch, and use "the White House" for POTUS.

The use of a metonym is called metonymy.

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