| totum pro parte |
| Definition -
A figure of speech where a part is referred to by mentioning the whole. Note: Its opposite is pars pro toto, a figure of speech where the whole is referred to by mentioning one of its parts. |
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Example - (1) When you say that someone is a drinker, you mean that he drinks alcohol excessively, not that he drinks all types of fluids. (2) When an American says "God Bless America," he means "God Bless the United States"; he's not blessing Canada or Argentina, although both of those countries are part of America. |
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Etymology - In Latin the phrase means "the whole for the part." |