metaphrase

M3E1T1A1P3H4R1A1S1E1

noun

A literal, word-for-word translation.

OriginAncient Greek μεταφράζομαι →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounmetaphrase (plural metaphrases)

plural metaphrases

  1. A literal, word-for-word translation.
  2. An answering phrase; repartee.

    I'm somewhat dull still in the manly art Of phrase and metaphrase. Why, any man Can carve a score of white Loves out of snow, As Buonarroti down in Florence there, And set them on the wall in some safe shade […]

    1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Eighth Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC
verbmetaphrase (third-person singular simple present metaphrases, present participle metaphrasing, simple past and past participle metaphrased)

present singular third person metaphrases · participle present metaphrasing · participle past metaphrased · past metaphrased

  1. To make such a literal translation.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμεταφράζομαι“consider after”
  2. Englishmetaphrase

From Ancient Greek μεταφράζομαι (metaphrázomai, “consider after”). By surface analysis, meta- + phrase.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

metaphrase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphrase

MLA

“metaphrase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphrase. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metaphrase,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphrase.

Source: metaphrase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.