Definitions

Iconic Signifier - where the signifier resembles the signified, eg. a picture. Indexical signifier - where the signifier is caused by the signified, eg. smoke signifies fire. Symbolic signifier - where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific, eg. most words. Polysemic - The ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used (in different contexts) to express two or more different meanings. Metonemy - The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, eg. suit for business executive. Synecdoche - A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (eg. ABCs for alphabet) or the whole for a part.