When a whole is used as the part or a part of a thing is put for the whole Examples: * "The world treated him badly." If you said "check out my new wheels," "wheels" is an example of synecdoche, used to refer to a "car." The word “synecdoche” is derived from the Greek word synekdochē, meaning “sense,” “understand” and “seem good.” Its first known use was in the 15th century. It can be defined as a figure of speech where part of a sentence describes the entirety. 2. Read on to explore how synecdoche functions in literature. Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun” The “western wave” is a synecdoche, as it refers to the sea by the name of one of its parts, a wave. Adjective: synecdochic, synecdochical, or synecdochal. 1. The Bible. It can be defined as a figure of speech where part of a sentence describes the entirety. Examples of Synecdoche from Literature. The usage of synecdoche, thus, emphasizes a sentence delivering the right context and embellishing the literary work. - The whole is used as the part * "Twenty sails came into the harbor." Julius Caesar, Shakespeare. 1900. Examples of Synecdoche in Poetry. The term 'synecdoche' might seem unfamiliar but you would've surely come across such words or sentences in written text. Use of the word “bread” in place of “money”. Eliot. 3. Synecdoche is a literary device that refers to a whole as one of its parts. Synecdoche (sih-NECK-duh-key) is a figure of speech where part of something stands in for the whole thing (like using wheels to refer to a car) or, less frequently, when a whole thing stands in for part of it (society used to reference high society).. Examples of Synecdoche in Literature Example #1: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (By Samuel Taylor Coleridge) “The western wave was all a-flame. When poets use synecdoche, they are often deploying it … Consider some common examples in our speech today. Synecdoche Definition. 20 Aug. 2010. A synecdoche (pronounced si-nek-duh-kee) is a member of the figurative language family. Shakespeare Online. Synecdoche is a figure of speech which expresses either more, or less, than it literally denotes. Definition of Synecdoche Synecdoche is a figure of speech where part of something is used to represent the whole thing. "I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas." A dictionary of literary terms.London: G. Routledge & sons. Examples. "Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." Current-Day Examples Here are some common examples of the use of synecdoche that we totally understand: How to cite the article: Vivian, Percival. The usage of synecdoche, thus, emphasizes a sentence delivering the right context and embellishing the literary work. "Beautiful are the feet that bring the good news." The whole world did not treat him badly only a part. "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears." T.S. Synecdoche (pronounced si-NEK-di-key) is a trope or figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole (for example, ABCs for alphabet) or (less commonly) the whole is used to represent a part ("England won the World Cup in 1966"). Synecdoche Examples: The term ‘synecdoche’ might seem unfamiliar but you would’ve surely come across such words or sentences in written text. In this familiar Shakespearean line from the play "Julius Caesar," Mark Anthony was not asking if he could literally borrow ears. Synecdoche is a figure of speech that occurs throughout the bible, and once understood you will see that it would be almost impossible for us to communicate without it. Literary Terms Synecdoche: The rhetorical figure of allusion to the part instead of the whole, as the use of 'the wave' in the sense of 'the sea', 'keel' for 'ship', 'a hand' or 'a head' for 'a man', etc. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." It's an odd word for what is simply using part of a whole to represent the whole. For example, someone might refer to her car as her “wheels,” or a teacher might ask his class to put their eyes on him as he explains something. Synecdoche examples abound in colloquial language and casual conversation; following are some common examples. 4. The day was well was nigh done!