Definition and Feature of Homograph

Homograph is an inter-character relationship as well as one of subjects sorted out and investigated in Chinese characters. The previous definitions of homograph are divided into two views, one is isomorph with different characters and the other is the same character with different words.In fact, from the three perspectives of origin, body structure and function of recording word, the paper redefines homograph, which is the characters with accidentally identical shapes which have different configuration bases, record different words(morphemes) irrelevant in their meanings and belong to different word bits.There are three attributes of homograph from the angle of shape and meaning.They are characterized by one character record different words(morphemes) irrelevant in their meanings and belong to different word bits, multiplicity of source form and structure theory, irrelevant meanings of different word bits and different origins of different meanings.So the study here deepens the knowledge of homograph, which has significant reference value to the ongoing researches of the homograph, wordbook compilation, textual criticism and the construction of Chinese word corpus.