tenor and vehicle
Metaphor's two parts
Tenor and vehicle are terms from rhetoric describing the two parts of a metaphor.
The tenor is what's actually being discussed—the subject.
The vehicle is the image or concept used to describe it.
In "life is a journey," life is the tenor and journey is the vehicle.
The vehicle carries meaning to the tenor, illuminating it through comparison: In her metaphor comparing grief to an ocean, the ocean is the vehicle.
- figure of speechNonliteral expressive phrase
- meaningWhat something signifies
- implied meaningUnstated but understood sense
- toneQuality of sound
- singerVocal music performer
opera singer · voice · high note · baritone · opera · pitch · drift · substance · import · conveyance · car · getaway car · transport · public transport · delivery truck · vessel · carrier · medium