What is "paronomasia"

Paronomasia \Par`o*no*ma"si*a\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to form a word by a slight change; para` beside + ? to name, fr. 'o`noma a name.] (Rhet.) A play upon words; a figure by which the same word is used in different senses, or words similar in sound are set in opposition to each other, so as to give antithetical force to the sentence; punning.
--Dryden.

"pun," 1570s, from Latin, from Greek paronomasia "play upon words which sound similarly," from paronomazein "to alter slightly, to call with slight change of name," literally "to name beside," from par- (see para- (1)) + onomasia "naming," from onoma "name" (see name (n.)).

n. (context rhetoric English) A pun or play on words

n. a humorous play on words; "I do it for the pun of it"; "his constant punning irritated her" [syn: pun, punning, wordplay]