apothegm - 4 dictionary results
ap⋅o⋅thegm
[ap-uh-them] 
–noun
| a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism. |
Also, apophthegm.
Origin:
1545–55; earlier apothegma < Gk apóphthegma, equiv. to apophtheg- (var. s. of apophthéngesthai to speak out; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai to speak) + -ma n. suffix
1545–55; earlier apothegma < Gk apóphthegma, equiv. to apophtheg- (var. s. of apophthéngesthai to speak out; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai to speak) + -ma n. suffix
Related forms:
ap⋅o⋅theg⋅mat⋅ic [ap-uh-theg-mat-ik] , ap⋅o⋅theg⋅mat⋅i⋅cal, adjective
[ap-uh-theg-mat-ik] , ap⋅o⋅theg⋅mat⋅i⋅cal, adjective ap⋅o⋅theg⋅mat⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To apothegm
| ap·o·thegm also ap·o·phthegm (āp'ə-thěm') n. A terse, witty, instructive saying; a maxim. [Greek apophthegma, from apophthengesthai, to speak plainly : apo-, intensive pref.; see apo- + phthengesthai, phtheg-, to speak.] ap'o·theg·mat'ic (-thěg-māt'ĭk), ap'o·theg·mat'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj., ap'o·theg·mat'i·cal·ly adv. |
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Apothegm
Ap"o*thegm\, Apophthegm \Ap"oph*thegm\, n. [Gr. 'apo`fqegma thing uttered, apothegm, from 'apofqe`ggesqai to speak out; 'apo` from + fqe`ggesqai to speak.] A short, pithy, and instructive saying; a terse remark, conveying some important truth; a sententious precept or maxim. Note: [Apothegm is now the prevalent spelling in the United States.]
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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apothegm
1553, from Gk. apophthegma "terse, pointed saying," lit. "something clearly spoken," from apophthengesthai "to speak one's opinion plainly," from apo- "from" (see apo-) + phthengesthai "to utter." See aphorism for nuances of usage. Spelling apophthegm, restored by Johnson, is preferred in England, according to OED.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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