kenning

noun
  1. A stylistic device and type of circumlocution in which a compound expression is used in place of a more straightforward noun, often found in Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry. noun
    In the epic poem Beowulf, the sea is often referred to by the kenning 'whale-road'.
    The phrase 'battle-sweat' is a kenning used to describe blood in ancient poetry.
  2. The range of vision or sight, or the range of understanding or perception. noun
    The mountain was beyond the kenning of the villagers, hidden by the dense forest.
    His kenning of the subject was limited, but he was eager to learn more.