noun
- words derived from the names of people or places
Usage: plural form of eponym
Examples
- Many eponyms in English come from Greek mythology, like ‘atlas’ from the titan Atlas.
- Scientific eponyms include ‘volt’ from Alessandro Volta and ‘watt’ from James Watt.
- The sandwich is one of the most famous food eponyms, named after the Earl of Sandwich.
- Medical eponyms like Alzheimer’s disease are named after the doctors who first described them.
- Geographic eponyms include ‘cologne’ from the German city of Cologne.
- Students often don’t realize how many common words are actually eponyms.