HOMOGRAPH

homograph

(noun) two words are homographs if they are spelled the same way but differ in meaning (e.g. fair)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

homograph (plural homographs)

A word that is spelled the same as another word, usually having a different etymology.

(computing) A text character or string that looks identical to another when rendered.

Hyponym: homoglyph

Usage notes

Homographs are a kind of homonym in the loose sense of that term, i.e. a word that is either a homophone (same sound) or a homograph (same spelling). (The strict sense of homonym is a word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word.) Specifically, homographs must have the same spelling, though they usually have different meanings and may be pronounced differently.

• The verb bear (“to carry”) and the noun bear (“large omnivorous mammal”) are homographs with the same pronunciation and different etymological origins.

• The verb alternate (“to go back and forth”) and the adjective alternate (“following by turns”) are homographs with different pronunciations but close etymological origins. Such homographs are also heteronyms.

• The verb meet (“to encounter”) and the noun meat (“food”) are not homographs since they have different spellings.

Source: Wiktionary

Hom"o*graph, n. Etym: [Gr. "omo`grafos with the same letters; "omo`s the same + gra`fein to write.] (Philol.)

Definition: One of two or more words identical in orthography, but having different derivations and meanings; as, fair, n., a market, and fair, a., beautiful.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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