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. [1913 Webster] Paronomastic