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apothegm

[ap-uh-them] Origin

ap·o·thegm

[ap-uh-them]
noun
a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.


Origin:
1545–55; earlier apothegma < Greek apóphthegma, equivalent to apophtheg- (variant stem of apophthéngesthai to speak out; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai to speak) + -ma noun suffix

ap·o·theg·mat·ic [ap-uh-theg-mat-ik] , ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal, adjective
ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb

adage, aphorism, apothegm, axiom, maxim, proverb.
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Apothegm is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Collins
World English Dictionary
apophthegm or apothegm (ˈæpəˌθɛm)
 
n
a short cryptic remark containing some general or generally accepted truth; maxim
 
[C16: from Greek apophthegma, from apophthengesthai to speak one's opinion frankly, from phthengesthai to speak]
 
apothegm or apothegm
 
n
 
[C16: from Greek apophthegma, from apophthengesthai to speak one's opinion frankly, from phthengesthai to speak]
 
apophthegmatic or apothegm
 
adj
 
apothegmatic or apothegm
 
adj

apothegm (ˈæpəˌθɛm)
 
n
a variant spelling of apophthegm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

apothegm
"a pithy saying," 1550s, 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
EXPAND
by Johnson, is preferred in England, according to OED.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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