# What is the word for...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 24, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196 "2001-04-24T22:21:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196/1 "2001-04-24T22:21:16Z")

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What is the word for a phrase that can have many different meanings? Like this phrase that I recently read in The Analects\*\*.

**The Master said, "The higher type of man is not a machine."**

I figured that one could take this to mean:

1. The nobler man has emotions.
2. The nobler man is not perfect.
3. Hi Opal! (I never done that before) 🙂
4. etc.

So is there a word that would describe this type of phrase?

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**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196/2 "2001-04-24T22:38:49Z")

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Ambiguous?

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**Author:** ![heembo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@heembo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heembo)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196/3 "2001-04-25T00:42:40Z")

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jsc1953, you are absolutely correct!

Ambiguity:  
The presence of two or more distinct meanings for a single word or expression.

I always laugh when I drive past a sign that says “Speed checked by radar,” cause all I can think about is that guy from M_A_S\*H hiding behind a tree with a serious look on his face and a radar gun in his hands…

Crack me up every time.

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**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for/63196/4 "2001-04-25T02:06:51Z")

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But Cpl. O’Reilly wouldn’t _need_ a radar gun … he already IS radar … maybe a pencil stub behind his ear.