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Saying

 - 6 dictionary results
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say⋅ing

  [sey-ing]
Use Saying in a Sentence
–noun
1. something said, esp. a proverb or apothegm.
—Idiom
2. go without saying, to be completely self-evident; be understood: It goes without saying that you are welcome to visit us at any time.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME (ger.); see say 1 , -ing 1

Synonyms:
1. maxim, adage, saw, aphorism.
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say

1  [sey] verb, said, say⋅ing, adverb, noun, interjection
–verb (used with object)
1. to utter or pronounce; speak: What did you say? I said “Hello!”
2. to express in words; state; declare; word: Say it clearly and simply. It's hard to know how to say this tactfully.
3. to state as an opinion or judgment: I say her plan is the better one.
4. to be certain, precise, or assured about; determine: It is hard to say what is wrong.
5. to recite or repeat: to say one's prayers.
6. to report or allege; maintain: People say he will resign.
7. to express (a message, viewpoint, etc.), as through a literary or other artistic medium: a writer with something to say.
8. to indicate or show: What does your watch say?
9. to assume as a hypothesis or estimate: Let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's true.
–verb (used without object)
10. to speak; declare; express an opinion.
–adverb
11. approximately; about: It's, say, 14 feet long.
12. for example: If you serve, say tuna fish and potato chips, it will cost much less.
–noun
13. what a person says or has to say.
14. the right or opportunity to speak, decide, or exercise influence: to have one's say in choosing the candidate.
15. a turn to say something: It is now my say.
–interjection
16. (used to express surprise, get attention, etc.)
—Idiom
17. that is to say, that is what is meant; in other words: I believe his account of the story, that is to say, I have no reason to doubt it.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME seyen, seggen, OE secgan; c. D zeggen, G sagen, ON segja; akin to saw 3

Related forms:
sayer, noun

say

2  [sey]
–verb (used with object), noun British Dialect.
assay.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME sayen, aph. var. of assayen to assay
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Saying
say   (sā)   
v.   said (sěd), say·ing, says (sěz)

v.   tr.

  1. To utter aloud; pronounce: The children said, "Good morning."

  2. To express in words: Say what's on your mind.

    1. To state as one's opinion or judgment; declare: I say let's eat out.

    2. To state as a determination of fact: It's hard to say who is right in this matter.

    3. To indicate; show: The clock says half past two.

    4. To give nonverbal expression to; signify or embody: It was an act that said "devotion."

  4. To repeat or recite: said grace.

  5. To report or maintain; allege.

    1. To indicate; show: The clock says half past two.

    2. To give nonverbal expression to; signify or embody: It was an act that said "devotion."

  7. To suppose; assume: Let's say that you're right.

v.   intr.
To make a statement; express oneself: The story must be true because the teacher said so.
n.  

  1. A turn or chance to speak: Having had my say, I sat down.

  2. The right or power to influence or make a decision: Citizens have a say in the councils of government. All I want is some say in the matter.

  3. Archaic Something said; a statement.

adv.  

  1. Approximately: There were, say, 500 people present.

  2. For instance: a woodwind, say an oboe.

interj.  Used to express surprise or appeal for someone's attention.

[Middle English seien, from Old English secgan; see sekw-3 in Indo-European roots.]
say'er n.
say·ing   (sā'ĭng)   
n.  Something, such as an adage or maxim, that is said.
Synonyms: These nouns refer to concise verbal expressions setting forth wisdom or a truth. A saying is an often repeated and familiar expression: a collection of philosophical sayings.
Maxim denotes particularly an expression of a general truth or a rule of conduct: "For a wise man, he seemed to me ... to be governed too much by general maxims" (Edmund Burke).
Adage applies to a saying that has gained credit through long use: a gift that gave no credence to the adage, "Good things come in small packages."
Saw often refers to a familiar saying that has become trite through frequent repetition: old saws that gave little comfort to the losing team.
A motto expresses the aims, character, or guiding principles of a person, group, or institution: "Exuberance over taste" is my motto.
An epigram is a witty expression, often paradoxical or satirical and neatly or brilliantly phrased: In his epigram Samuel Johnson called remarriage a "triumph of hope over experience."
Proverb refers to an old and popular saying that illustrates something such as a basic truth or a practical precept: "Slow and steady wins the race" is a proverb to live by.
Aphorism, denoting a concise expression of a truth or principle, implies depth of content and stylistic distinction: Few writers have coined more aphorisms than Benjamin Franklin.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

say  (v.)
O.E. secgan "to utter, say," from P.Gmc. *sagjanan (cf. O.S. seggian, O.N. segja, O.Fris. sedsa, M.Du. segghen, Du. zeggen, O.H.G. sagen, Ger. sagen "to say"), from PIE *sokei-, probably from base *seq- "point out" (cf. Hitt. shakiya- "to declare," Lith. sakyti "to say," O.C.S. sociti "to vindicate, show," O.Ir. insce "speech," O.Latin inseque "to tell say"). Past tense said developed from O.E. segde. Not attested in use with inanimate objects (clocks, signs, etc.) as subjects before 1930. You said it "you're right" first recorded 1919; you can say that again as a phrase expressing agreement is recorded from 1942, Amer.Eng. You don't say (so) as an expression of astonishment (often ironic) is first recorded 1779, Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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