Definitions for paronomasiaˌpær ə noʊˈmeɪ ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
par•o•no•ma•siaˌpær ə noʊˈmeɪ ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə(n.)(pl.)-sias.
a play on words; pun.
Category: Rhetoric
Origin of paronomasia:
1570–80; < L < Gk paronomasía a play on words, assonance, der. of paronomázein to make a slight name-change =par-par - +onomázein to name, der. of ónomaname
par`o•no•mas′ti•cal•ly(adv.)
Princeton's WordNet
pun, punning, wordplay, paronomasia(noun)
a humorous play on words
"I do it for the pun of it"; "his constant punning irritated her"
Wiktionary
paronomasia(Noun)
A pun or play on words
Origin: From paronomasia, from παρονομασία, from παρα- + ὀνομασία.
Webster Dictionary
Paronomasia(noun)
a play upon words; a figure by which the same word is used in different senses, or words similar in sound are set in opposition to each other, so as to give antithetical force to the sentence; punning
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"paronomasia." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 21 May 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/paronomasia>.