Met"a*phor (mĕt"ȧ*fẽr),
n. [F. métaphore, L.
metaphora, fr. Gr. metafora`, fr.
metafe`rein to carry over, transfer; meta`
beyond, over + fe`rein to bring, bear.] (Rhet.)
The transference of the relation between one set of objects to
another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed
simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. Abbott &
Seeley. "All the world's a stage." Shak.
☞ The statement, "that man is a fox," is a metaphor; but
"that man is like a fox," is a simile, similitude, or comparison.