Eponym

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Eponym \Ep"o*nym\, Eponyme \Ep"o*nyme\, n. [Cf. F. ['e]ponyme.
     See {Eponymous}.]
     1. The hypothetical individual who is assumed as the person
        from whom any race, city, etc., took its name; as, Hellen
        is an eponym of the Hellenes.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. A name, as of a people, country, and the like, derived
        from that of an individual.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  eponym
       n 1: the name of a person for whom something is supposedly named;
            "Constantine I is the eponym for Constantinople"
       2: a name derived from the name of person (real or imaginary)
          as the name of Alexandria is derived from the name of its
          founder: Alexander the Great