what is a pun

A pun is a form of wordplay that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. It is a usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound. Puns have many uses in both writing and everyday speech: they can be used to achieve a rhetorical or humorous effect in a piece of writing, for example, or as an icebreaker at a party.