1. Words that denote a part or component of something larger; the plural of meronym. In linguistics, a meronym is a term for a part of a whole (e.g., 'finger' is a meronym of 'hand').
Usage: technical/linguistic term; opposite of holonym

Examples

• In linguistics, 'wheel' and 'engine' are meronyms of 'car'.
• The word 'leaf' is a meronym because it refers to a part of a tree.
• Meronyms help us understand how language organizes relationships between wholes and their parts.
• Students learning about semantic relationships often study meronyms and holonyms together.
• 'Brick' is a meronym of 'wall' since a brick is a component of a wall.