| 1. simile, poetic substitution of one thing for another in order to suggest comparison or resemblance; mundane thing that is used as a symbol for an abstract concept. metaphormeta*phor , n. [f. métaphore, l. metaphora, fr. gr. , fr. 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. & seeley. all the world's a stage.note: the statement, that man is a fox, is a metaphor; but that man is like a fox, is a simile, similitude, or comparison. [ |