Pars pro toto
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Pars pro toto is Latin for synecdoche, or "(taking) a part for the whole". When used in a context of language it means that something is named after a part of it (or after a limited characteristic, in itself not necessarily representative for the whole). E.g. "glasses" is a "pars pro toto" name for something that consists of more than just two pieces of glass.
In geography
Some placenames are commonly used to refer synonymously to a larger or smaller area than what is strictly deemed correct. These include Holland (for the Netherlands, see Netherlands (terminology)), Micronesia (for the Federated States of Micronesia), America (for the United States), England (for the United Kingdom and Great Britain, see British Isles (terminology)), or Russia (formerly used as a synonym for the Soviet Union) Persia (for Iran, see Iran naming dispute). Sometimes these uses will differ between languages.Use of common placenames to replace official titles can cause offence. For example, many residents of the Netherlands feel excluded when the title Holland is used to describe their country. Using the title England instead of Great Britain (or Britain) is not well tolerated by the people of Scotland and Wales.
See also
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