Stylistic devices: Synecdoche

What is a synecdoche?

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or the whole of something is used to represent part of it. It is considered to be a special kind of metonymy.

Types and examples of synecdoche

Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing –
A hundred head of cattle (using the part head to refer to the whole animal)
The whole of a thing is used to represent part of it –
The world treated him badly (using the world to refer to a part of the world)
A specific class of thing is used to refer to a larger, more general class –
A bug (used to refer to any kind of insect or arachnid, even if it is not a true bug)
A general class of thing is used to refer to a smaller, more specific class –
The good book (referring to the Bible or the Qur’an)
A material is used to refer to an object composed of that material –
Glasses or steel ( referring to spectacles or sword)
A container is used to refer to its contents –
A barrel (referring to a barrel of oil)

Source: Wikipedia

36 Figures of Speech Types Simile Metaphor Etc With Examples

List of Figures of Speech in the English Language – Literary Devices
Accumulation	Climax	Metalepsis
Adjunction	Dysphemism	Metaphor
Adnomination	Ellipsis	Metonymy
Alliteration	Euphemism	Simile
Allusion	Epigram	Synecdoche
Anaphora	Epiphora (or epistrophe)	Tautology
Antanaclasis	Hyperbole	Understatement
Anticlimax	Hypophora	Zeugma and syllepsis
Antiphrasis	Irony
Antithesis	Litotes
Apostrophe	Oxymoron
Assonance	Personification
Cataphora	Puns
Chiasmus	Merism