I was listening to an expert on the radio last night talking about testing alternative medicine with the same rigour as tests for conventional drugs. The scientist said that ‘alternative medicine’ or ‘traditional medicine’ are ‘basket terms’ that include many things including tiger penis, acupuncture, or even eating apples every day. He used the word ‘basket term’ to describe a grouping that is broad and not too specific. Like how ‘critters’ is a basket term for little animals: squirrels, snails, bats. I’ve also heard vague grouping words called ‘blanket terms’ or ‘umbrella terms’. Basket, blanket, and umbrella…mysterious.
Hypernymy?