əˌθɛm noun
a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.
Also, apophthegm.
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
1545–55; earlier apothegma < Greek apóphthegma, equivalent to apophtheg- (variant stem of apophthéngesthai to speak out; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai to speak) + -ma noun suffix
Related forms
ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To apothegm
00:10
Apothegm
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
apophthegm or apothegm (ˈæpəˌθɛm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
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
by Johnson, is preferred in England, according to OED.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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