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allegory

al·le·go·ry [ állə gàwree ] (plural al·le·go·ries)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. symbolic work: a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning

2. symbolic expression of meaning in story: the symbolic expression of a deeper meaning through a story or scene acted out by human, animal, or mythical characters
the poet's use of allegory

3. genre: allegories considered as a literary or artistic genre

4. symbolic representation: a symbolic representation of something

[14th century. < Latin allegoria< Greek allegorein "say otherwise" < allos "other" + agoreuein "speak in public"]

al·le·go·rist noun
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