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Pun vs Polysemy - What's the difference?

pun | polysemy |

As nouns the difference between pun and polysemy

is that pun is a joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused while polysemy is the ability of words, signs and symbols to have multiple meanings.

As a verb pun

is to beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder.

pun

English

(wikipedia pun)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l).

Verb

  • To beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder.
  • * Shakespeare
    • He would pun thee into shivers with his fist.

    Etymology 2

    From a special use of Etymology 1 .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , title=(Mansfield Park) , last=Austen , first=Jane , authorlink=Jane Austen , year=1814 citation , volume=one, chapter VI , publisher= }}
    "Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears'' and ''Vices I saw enough. Now do not be suspecting me of a pun , I entreat."
  • *:Comment : Austen was likely referring to spanking/flogging, then common naval punishments, known as (le vice Anglais) .
    • Usage notes
    * Because some puns are based on pronunciation, puns are more obvious when spoken aloud. For example: “This rock is gneiss, but don’t take it for granite.” This reads (with a US accent) similarly to “This rock is nice, but don’t take it for granted.” (Both “gneiss” and “granite” are types of rock.)
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Verb

  • To make or tell a pun; make a play on words.
    • We punned about the topic until all around us groaned.
    See also
    * antanaclasis * paronomasia

    Anagrams

    * ----

    polysemy

    English

    (wikipedia polysemy)

    Noun

    (-)
  • (semantics) The ability of words, signs and symbols to have multiple meanings.
    • [...] polysemy , which is the greedy habit some words have of taking more than one meaning for themselves. , speech at TED.

    Antonyms

    * monosemy

    Related terms

    * polysemic * polysemous

    See also

    * homonymy