metaphor Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

F. métaphore, L. metaphora, fr. Gr. , fr. to carry over, transfer; meta` beyond, over + fe`rein to bring, bear.

(Rhet.) The transference of the relation between one set of objects to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. Abbott & Seeley. "All the world's a stage." Shak. ✍ The statement, "that man is a fox," is a metaphor; but "that man is like a fox," is a simile, similitude, or comparison.