What does "metaphor" mean?

1. (figure of speech) a way of describing something by saying it is something else to show they share a quality. 2. (computing interface) the use of familiar objects to represent digital tasks, like using a 'folder' icon for files.

Is it correct to say "The poet used a metaphor like a rose."?

No — say "The poet used a metaphor: 'the world is a rose'.". A metaphor states that something IS something else; if you use 'like' or 'as', it is a simile, not a metaphor.

metaphor

US //ˈmɛtəfɔɹ// UK //mˈɛtəfˌɔː// metaphor

1 figure of speech (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a way of describing something by saying it is something else to show they share a quality.

a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

Example

The teacher used the metaphor of a 'rollercoaster' to describe the character's emotions.

Example

The author employs the metaphor of a decaying garden to represent the moral decline of the family over several generations.
- analogy
- figure of speech
- comparison
- literalism
Pitfall

The poet used a metaphor like a rose.

The poet used a metaphor: 'the world is a rose'.

A metaphor states that something IS something else; if you use 'like' or 'as', it is a simile, not a metaphor.
2 computing interface (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

the use of familiar objects to represent digital tasks, like using a 'folder' icon for files.

the application of a conceptual framework from the physical world to a digital interface to improve user intuition.

Example

The 'desktop' metaphor makes it easy for new users to understand how to organize their computer files.

Example

Early operating systems relied heavily on the office metaphor, using icons for trash cans, folders, and filing cabinets to guide user interaction.
- representation
- symbol

Origin

From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “I transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “I bear, carry”).

Word family

Nounmetaphor
Adjectivemetaphorical
Adverbmetaphorically