_Synecdoche_ (from the Greek, _sun_ with, and _ekdexesthai_, to receive),
is a figure of speech which expresses either more or less than it literally
denotes. By it we give to an object a name which literally expresses
something more or something less than we intend. Thus: we speak of the
world when we mean only a very limited number of the people who compose
the world: as, "The world treated him badly." Here we use the whole for a
part. But the most common form of this figure is that in which a part is
used for the whole; as, "I have twenty head of cattle," "One of his _hands_
was assassinated," meaning one of his men. "Twenty _sail_ came into the
harbor," meaning twenty ships. "This is a fine marble," meaning a marble
statue.

_Metonymy_ (from the Greek _meta_, change, and _onyma_, a name) is the
designation of an object by one of its accompaniments, in other words, it
is a figure by which the name of one object is put for another when the
two are so related that the mention of one readily suggests the other.
Thus when we say of a drunkard--"He loves the bottle" we do not mean that
he loves the glass receptacle, but the liquor that it is supposed to
contain. Metonymy, generally speaking, has, three subdivisions: (1) when
an effect is put for cause or _vice versa_: as "_Gray hairs_ should be
respected," meaning old age. "He writes a fine hand," that is, handwriting.
(2) when the _sign_ is put for the _thing signified_; as, "The pen is
mightier than the sword," meaning literary power is superior to military
force. (3) When the _container_ is put for the thing contained; as "The
_House_ was called to order," meaning the members in the House.

_Exclamation_ (from the Latin _ex_, out, and _clamare_, to cry), is a
figure by which the speaker instead of stating a fact, simply utters an
expression of surprise or emotion. For instance when he hears some
harrowing tale of woe or misfortune instead of saying,--"It is a sad