What is the origin and meaning of the word "razor" in the phrase "Occam's Razor"?
Why isn't it Occam's Law, Ocaam's Principle, or Occam's Adage?
Why isn't it Occam's Law, Ocaam's Principle, or Occam's Adage?
yodasminion
Favorite Answer
It was not actually coined by William of Occam, but by the 19th Century British writer Sir William Rowan Hamilton.
As for why razor and not anything else, I think it might refer to the way Occam's Razor cuts away all the superfluous explanations, and seeks to pare it down to only that which is absolutely necessary. This is pure speculation though.
kmm
The first answer sounds like a good one!