verbing

verbing n the act or practice of using a noun as a verb, such as ‘medal’ to mean “to win a medal” (CED)

Verbing is a time-honored way of coining new words out of old ones, the etymological process of conversion (or functional shifting). Sometimes it’s also a kind of word play (anthimeria), as in Shakespeare’s King Richard the Second when the Duke of York says, “Grace me no grace, and uncle me no uncles.”

Richard Nordquist, “What Is Verbing? – Turning Nouns Into Verbs – Definition and Examples of Verbing”, About.com

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