misnomer

Misnomer is a name or term that is inaccurate or misleading when applied to a person, place, or thing. The word comes from the Latin nomen meaning "name," with the prefix mis- indicating "wrong." In practice, misnomers arise when naming reflects outdated beliefs, origins that are no longer correct, or a broad usage that drifts from precise meaning. They may be accidental, conventional, or humorous, and they can persist even after the original error is understood.

Common examples include: “koala bear”—koalas are not bears but marsupials; “guinea pig”—not from Guinea and not a pig but a rodent native to the Andes; “lead pencil”—the writing core is graphite, not lead; “starfish”—not a fish but an echinoderm; “fireflies”—not flies but beetles.

Some misnomers reflect historical naming, such as “French fries” which actually originated outside France, or “Silk Road” as a metaphorical route rather than a single historic road; these illustrate how the source of a term can drift from the current reality. Others are semantic or linguistic drift: what was once accurate may no longer be, due to reclassification, new discoveries, or changes in common usage.

Misnomers can cause confusion or mild false impressions, but they also survive as part of everyday language. In formal writing, precise terminology is preferred, while colloquial usage often tolerates familiar misnomers.