Definition of "eponym" [ep•o•nym]

• A word or name derived from the name of a person. The words atlas, bowdlerize, and Turing machine are eponyms. (noun)
• A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "An eponym is an honor, and these two men are not worthy."
• "When a person’s name turns into a word, that’s called an eponym, from the Greek epi, “upon,” and onyma, “name.”"
• "I've been using the eponym for over seven years on my (virtually unread) blog and for almost as long on the (widely read) DailyKos."