An example of the relationship between hyponyms and hypernym
Hypernymy and hyponymy are the semantic relations between a generic term (hypernym) and a more specific term (hyponym). The hypernym is also called a supertype, umbrella term, or blanket term.[1][2][3][4] The hyponym names a subtype of the hypernym. The semantic field of the hyponym is included within that of the hypernym.[5] For example, pigeon, crow, and hen are all hyponyms of bird and animal; bird and animal are both hypernyms of pigeon, crow, and hen.[6]
A core concept of hyponymy is "type of", whereas "instance of" is differentiable. For example, for the noun city, a hyponym (naming a type of city) is capital city or capital, whereas Paris and London are instances of a city, not types of city.
^Frank W. D. Röder (2011). The Roeder Protocol. Books on Demand. p. 77. ISBN9783842351288. Retrieved December 11, 2018. Synaptic plasticity is a hypernym (umbrella term)