word play

See also: wordplay

English

Noun

word play (countable and uncountable, plural word plays)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see word,‎ play.
2. A technique in which the nature of the words used become part of the subject of the work, such as puns, phonetic mix-ups such as spoonerisms, obscure words and meanings, clever rhetorical excursions, oddly formed sentences, and telling character names.

Hyponyms

• pun
• spoonerism