Stylistic devices making use of the meaning of language units

Periphrasis
This is a device by which a longer phrase is used instead of a shorter and plainer one; it is a case of circumlocution (a round- about way of description), which is used in literary descriptions for greater expressiveness.

Periphrasis. Examples:
The notion of king may be poetically represented as the protector of earls; the victor lord; the giver of lands;
a battle = a play of swords;
a saddle = a battle-seat,
a soldier = a shield-bearer,
God = Our Lord, Almighty, Goodness, Heavens, the Skies.
In poetry:
a disturber of the piano keys = a pianist (O. Henry).
an elongated yellow fruit = banana (Charles W. Morton)

Antonomasia
This device consists in the use of a proper name instead of a common name or vice versa. Thus, we may use a description instead of a person's name, creating a kind of nickname.

Antonomasia. Examples:
Do not act like Mr. Bean (a famous British comedy character) = acting ridiculous/illogical
Mister Know-all (a character of S. Maugham)
Scrooge - a miser; Solomon - wise ruler
He is the Napoleon of crime (= a genius in crime as great as Napoleon was in wars)
He looked at himself in the glass. Here, then, was a modern Hercules. = a man who is like this hero of ancient Greek myths (A. Christie).
As we can see, on the one hand, antonomasia is a subtype of periphrasis, on the other, it is a subtype of metonymy.

Euphemisms
This term denotes the use of a different, more gentle or favourable name for an object or phenomenon so as to avoid undesirable or unpleasant associations.

Euphemisms. Examples:
the verb to die may be replaced by euphemisms like:
to expire, to be no more, to join the majority, to be gone, to depart.
A madhouse may be called lunatic asylum or a mental hospital.
A toilet, lavatory = ladies' (men's) room; rest-room; bathroom.

Euphemisms. Peculiarities:
Euphemistic expressions may have the structure of a sentence:
China is a country where you often get different accounts of the same thing = where many lies are told (from Lord Salisbury's Speech).
There are euphemisms replacing taboo-words (taboos), i.e. words forbidden in use in a community:
The Prince of darkness or The Evil One = the Devil;
the kingdom of darkness or the place of no return = Hell.