2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Analogy  \A*nal"o*gy\,  n.;  pl  {Analogies}.  [L.  analogia  Gr  ?, 
  fr  ?:  cf  F.  analogie.  See  {Analogous}.] 
  1.  A  resemblance  of  relations;  an  agreement  or  likeness 
  between  things  in  some  circumstances  or  effects,  when  the 
  things  are  otherwise  entirely  different.  Thus  learning 
  enlightens  the  mind,  because  it  is  to  the  mind  what  light 
  is  to  the  eye,  enabling  it  to  discover  things  before 
  hidden. 
 
  Note:  Followed  by  between,  to  or  with  as  there  is  an 
  analogy  between  these  objects,  or  one  thing  has  an 
  analogy  to  or  with  another. 
 
  Note:  Analogy  is  very  commonly  used  to  denote  similarity  or 
  essential  resemblance;  but  its  specific  meaning  is  a 
  similarity  of  relations,  and  in  this  consists  the 
  difference  between  the  argument  from  example  and  that 
  from  analogy.  In  the  former,  we  argue  from  the  mere 
  similarity  of  two  things  in  the  latter,  from  the 
  similarity  of  their  relations.  --Karslake. 
 
  2.  (Biol.)  A  relation  or  correspondence  in  function,  between 
  organs  or  parts  which  are  decidedly  different. 
 
  3.  (Geom.)  Proportion;  equality  of  ratios. 
 
  4.  (Gram.)  Conformity  of  words  to  the  genius,  structure,  or 
  general  rules  of  a  language;  similarity  of  origin, 
  inflection,  or  principle  of  pronunciation,  and  the  like 
  as  opposed  to  {anomaly}.  --Johnson. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  analogy 
  n  1:  similarity  in  some  respect  between  things  that  are  otherwise 
  dissimilar:  "the  operation  of  a  computer  presents  an 
  interesting  analogy  to  the  working  of  the  brain" 
  2:  (logic)  inference  that  if  things  agree  in  some  respects  they 
  probably  agree  in  others 
  3:  drawing  a  comparison  in  order  to  show  a  similarity  in  some 
  respect;  "the  models  show  by  analogy  how  matter  is  built 
  up" 
  4:  a  theoretical  account  based  on  a  similarity  between  the 
  model  and  the  phenomena  that  are  to  be  explained;  "it  was 
  a  computer  simulation  of  problem  solving"  [syn:  {simulation}] 

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