7 results for: apothegm

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ap·o·thegm

Audio Help [ap-uh-them] Pronunciation Key

–noun

a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.

[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

]

—Related forms

ap·o·theg·mat·ic

Audio Help [ap-uh-theg-mat-ik] Pronunciation Key, ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal, adjective

ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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apothegm

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ap·o·thegm also ap·o·phthegm Audio Help (āp'ə-thěm') Pronunciation Key
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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
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.

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