verbs - Is there a term for creating a new meaning for an existing word?



I'm looking for a technical term for using a noun as its own verb form where such usage is not extant. For example, using intellect as a verb (to intellect). Is there such a term? It doesn't seem to be a neologism or an example of metonymy.



Answer



The most specific term for what you describe is verbification or verbing. The general term for using a word with one part of speech as another part of speech (not necessarily noun → verb) is conversion or zero derivation in linguistics and anthimeria in rhetoric.


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