Pun

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /pʌn/

Definitions

1. A humorous use of words that sound alike or have multiple meanings to create a joke ; a penalty imposed for wrongdoing or breaking rules
2. A clever or funny twist in language exploiting double meanings or similar sounds ; a consequence or discipline given for offenses or faults
3. A witty manipulation of language involving words with double meanings ; a sanction or retribution applied as punishment

Etymology: The sense of pounding or beating is what links them, since a pun was imagined as hammering words into shape, and punishment as beating someone into line. The verb sense of "pun" as punishment is the older of the two uses in the source's account, descending from the idea of beating or bruising. The wordplay sense is then described as a kind of wordplay built on that notion of forcing words together, so the same physical act of pounding underlies both meanings. Pound itself is the closely related English word from the same root.

Synonyms: play on words, wordplay