a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with `like' or `as')
A figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, using e.g. like or as.
The word "simile" comes from the Latin simile, meaning "comparison" or "likeness." It is derived from the adjective similis, which means "like" or "similar," and is related to the English word "similar."