hyponym

/ˌhaɪpəˈnɪm/

Other forms: hyponyms

A hyponym is a word that's defined by another word but is a lot more specific. "Cocker spaniel" is a hyponym of "dog."

In linguistics, some words, known as hypernyms, are generic "umbrella terms" that cover a wide range of things. Hyponyms, on the other hand, are specific words that fall under that umbrella. "Music" is a hypernym, and "rock and roll," "jazz," "opera," and "folk" are all hyponyms. The Greek roots of hyponym are hypo, "under," and onyma, "name."

Definitions of hyponym

1. noun

   a word that is more specific than a given word
   synonyms: subordinate, subordinate word

   type of:

   word

   a unit of language that native speakers can identify