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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary al·le·go·ry \\ˈa-lə-ˌgȯr-ē\\ noun ( plural -ries) ETYMOLOGY Middle English allegorie, from Latin allegoria, from Greek allēgoria, from allēgorein to speak figuratively, from allos other + -ēgorein to speak publicly, from agora assembly — more at else , agora
DATE 14th century
1. the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence; also : an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression2. a symbolic representation : emblem 2
allegory late 14 c., from O.Fr
http://O.Fr . allegorie, from L. allegoria, from Gk. allegoria "figurative language, description of one thing under the image of another," lit. "a speaking about something else," from allos "another, different" (see alias) + agoreuein "speak openly, speak in the assembly," from agora "assembly."
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 allegoryal·le·gory / 5AlE^Eri; NAmE -^C:ri / noun[C, U] (pl. -ies) a story, play, picture, etc. in which each character or event is a symbol representing an idea or a quality, such as truth, evil, death, etc.; the use of such symbols 寓言；讽喻；寓言体；讽喻法: a political allegory 政治讽喻 the poet's use of allegory 诗人的讽喻手法 ⇨ see also fable • al·le·gor·ic·al / 7AlE5^Crikl; NAmE -5^C:r-; -5^B:r- / adj.: an allegorical figure / novel 寓言人物；讽喻小说 • al·le·gor·ic·al·ly adv.
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged al·le·go·ry\ˈalə̇ˌgōrē, -ēˌg-, -ȯr-, -ri\ noun( -es) Etymology: Middle English allegorie, from Latin allegoria, from Greek allēgoria, from allēgorein to speak figuratively, probably from alla (neuter plural of allos other) + -agorein to speak publicly, from agora assembly — more at else , gregarious 1. a. : the written, oral, or artistic expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human conduct or experience (as in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Spenser's Faerie Queene) b. : an instance of such expression < a poetic allegory >2. : something resembling or suggestive of an allegory in its effect : symbolic representation : emblem < an organization that stands as an allegory of cooperation >Synonyms: allegory , parable , myth , fable , apologue : these five words apply in this comparison to literary forms typically telling a story for the sake of presenting a truth, a moral. allegory , the most general, applies to fiction in which action and character, usually of a certain complexity, are symbolic or figurative, the characters usually typical, the whole by its analogy to real-life situations or actual moral facts presenting a moral or spiritual truth or a normative generalization or a series of them. A parable is a short, allegorical tale, usually simple and homely, typically illustrating or reenforcing a single spiritual truth. myth in this application applies chiefly to Platonic myth, which was a brief explanation of a difficult philosophic truth by means of a short allegorical analogy. A fable or apologue is an allegorical tale, usually a beast fable, that points up in its analogy the weaknesses or follies of man for the sake of a moral or normative generalization usually formulated and appended at the end of the tale
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