pars pro toto

Dutch - English

Definition of pars pro toto in Dutch English dictionary: synecdoche; The use of synecdoche; synecdochy; A figure or trope by which a part of a thing is put for the whole, the whole for a part, the species for the genus, the genus for the species, or the name of the material for the thing made, and similar; {n} a part taken or put for the whole; A figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole or the whole for a part, as wheels for automobile or society for high society Sidelight: Synecdoche is so similar in meaning to metonymy that the latter term is often used for both (Compare Metaphor, Simile, Symbol); {i} figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or the whole for the part (i.e. "wheels" for "car"); A figure of speech in which a part is used to designate the whole or the whole is used to designate a part For example, the phrase “all hands on deck” means “all men on deck,” not just their hands The reverse situation, in which the whole is used for a part, occurs in the sentence “The U S beat Russia in the final game,” where the U S and Russia stand for “the U S team” and “the Russian team,” respectively; A metaphor by which an inclusive term stands for something included, or vice versa; a metaphor in which a part is spoken of as the whole (hand for laborer) or vice-versa (the court for the judge); a figure of speech that uses the part to stand for the whole, or the whole to stand for the part; a kind of connotation in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor); Figurative language in which a part of something stands for the whole to give an other than literal meaning; Green Bay doesn't play St Louis, but their football teams do; Using a part of something to demonstrate or stand for the whole, or using the whole to demonstrate or stand for a part Examples: The poem Negro uses references of I somewheat as a part instead of a whole population (Hughes, p 581) "First fight Then fiddle " Here fiddle is possibly rejoice or having happiness or peace (Brooks, p 723) T -back to top-; a figure of speech where the part stands for the whole (for example, "I've got wheels" for "I have a car") One expression that combines synecdoche and metonymy (in which a word normally associated with something is substituted for the term usually naming that thing) is "boob tube," meaning "television "; Synecdoche is from the Greek word [synekdechesthai], taken from the root words [syn] meaning 'together' or 'joined,' [ek] meaning 'out of', and [dechesthai] meaning to receive Thus the word indicates 'receiving out of that which is together ' By implication, it simply means to 'receive out of the whole ' One is using a Synecdoche when they speak of 'a part of something,' but are referring to the whole thing For example, if someone says they need 'some wheels to get to New York,' the word wheels is a synecdoche meaning a car; literary device in which the part represents the whole (e g "the crown rules our fair land" -- it is the king, not the crown); referring to something by just a part of it "New York won the World Series," instead of "The New York Yankees won the World Series " See also: metonymy; A part of something substituted for the whole Meaning is inferred by the specific part used Ex: "A nice set of wheels "; A figure of speech involving the use of a narrower or a more general term to designate something, e g "a sail!" meaning "a ship!" (see also metonymy); A figure or trope by which a part of a thing is put for the whole (as, fifty sail for fifty ships), or the whole for a part (as, the smiling year for spring), the species for the genus (as, cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (as, a creature for a man), the name of the material for the thing made, etc; substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa; Referring to a concept by a part of it "All of the big names in the field were there " See also metonymy