Definition – When words are used as a substitute for a whole as a part of something or a part of something for the whole. “White hairs” is substituted for an old person and it refers to a whole. “Bug” is substituted for any kind of insect and it refers to a general associated thing. By: Teara Gass

“The whole word treated him badly.” - The whole world didn’t treat him badly, only a part. So the whole of something (the world) is being substituted for a part of something(a part of the world). Examples of Synecdoche “Twenty sails came into the harbor.” – it means twenty ships came in to the harbor. The part (sails) is being substituted for the whole (ships).

"hands" to refer to workers, "threads" for clothing, "wheels" for car, "mouths to feed" for hungry people are all examples when part of something is being substituted for the whole. "the police" for a handful of officers, "body" for the trunk of the body are all examples when the whole is substituting for part of something.