Appellative ::
Appellative (n.) A
common name, in
distinction from a
proper name. A
common name, or
appellative, stands for a whole
class, genus, or
species of
beings, or for
universal ideas. Thus, tree is the name of all
plants of a
particular class; plant and
vegetable are names of
things that grow out of the
earth. A
proper name, on the other hand,
stands for a
single thing; as, Rome,
Washington, Lake
Erie..