English Explanatory Dictionary

heteronym

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Calque.
  2. A word having the same spelling as another, but with a different meaning and (often) pronunciation.
  3. A fictitious character created by an author for the purpose of writing in a different style.

Pronunciation

/ˈhɛt.əɹ.ə(ʊ).nɪm/ /ˈhɛt.ə.ɹoʊ.nɪm/ /ˈhɛt.ə.ɹə.nɪm/ en-us-heteronym.ogg

Word forms

heteronym heteronyms

Etymology

By surface analysis, hetero (“different”) + -onym (“name”). Compare Ancient Greek ἑτερώνυμος (heterṓnumos). First attested in 1885 in sense 1. The coining of this term in sense 3 (as Portuguese heterónimo) is usually attributed to Fernando Pessoa.

Synonyms

heterophone homograph

Related words

homonym polyphone identical same homophone & homograph homophone different homophone & heterograph alternative spelling synonym heterophone & heterograph heterophone & homograph alternative pronunciation distinct

Derived words

heteronymic heteronymous
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