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idionym

idionym noun: a word that refers to one specific anatomical part.

Noun

idionym (plural idionyms)

  1. A word that refers to one specific anatomical part.
    • In fact, this term, as coined and defined by me, is now an idionym, applicable to but a single part of the brain.1896, The journal of comparative neurology, page 221
  2. A mononym.
    • Before 1066, each individual was identified by a single, distinctive name (an idionym). This contrasts very strongly with the present-day system of naming, which consists of at least two components, a ‘first-name’ plus a surname ‘denoting a patrilinear family group’.1995, Ann Williams, The English and the Norman conquest, page 207
  3. (dated) A specific epithet; the name of a species.
    • Haworth's idionym “v-flava” has been changed to “v-flavum,” despite its acceptance, with explanation of derivation, by the Entomological Societies of Oxford and Cambridge […]1907, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, page 1014

Forms of idionym

pluralidionyms

Origin of idionym

From idi- + -onym.

Questions about idionym

What does idionym mean?
Idionym means a word that refers to one specific anatomical part.
What part of speech is idionym?
Idionym is a noun.
What is the plural of idionym?
The plural of idionym is idionyms.

Words near idionym in the dictionary

  1. idiomorphs
  2. idiomotion
  3. idiomotor
  4. idioms
  5. idiomuscular
  6. idionym
  7. idionyms
  8. idiopath
  9. idiopathetic
  10. idiopathetically
  11. idiopathic

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: idionym (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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