The term "heterological" refers to a property or characteristic that does not apply to itself. For example, the word "long" is heterological because it is not long itself. This concept is often discussed in the context of language and philosophy, particularly in relation to self-reference and classification. In contrast, "homological" describes properties that do apply to themselves, such as the word "short," which is indeed short. The distinction between heterological and homological can lead to interesting paradoxes and discussions, especially in the fields of linguistics and philosophy.