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byword
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Byword
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by·word
/
ˈbaɪˌwɜrd
/
Show Spelled
[
bahy
-wurd
]
Show IPA
noun
1.
a
word
or phrase associated with some person or thing; a characteristic
expression
, typical greeting, or the like.
2.
a word or phrase used proverbially; common saying; proverb.
3.
an
object
of general reproach, derision, scorn, etc.:
His crimes
will
make him a byword through the ages.
4.
an epithet, often of scorn.
Origin:
before 1050;
Middle English
biworde,
Old English
biwyrde.
See
by
(adj.),
word
Synonyms
1.
slogan, motto.
2.
maxim, apothegm, aphorism, saw, adage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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byword
Relevant Questions
What Is Byword Mean?
What Is Byword Mean?
00:10
Byword
is always a great word to know.
So is
flibbertigibbet
. Does it mean:
So is
bezoar
. Does it mean:
So is
lollapalooza
. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
byword
(ˈbaɪˌwɜːd)
—
n
1.
a person, place, or thing regarded as a perfect or proverbial example of something:
their name is a byword for good service
2.
an object of scorn or derision
3.
a common saying; proverb
[Old English
bīwyrde
; see
by
,
word
; compare Old High German
pīwurti
, from Latin
prōverbium
proverb]
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
byword
O.E. biword "proverb," formed after L. proverbium, or Gk. para-bole.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Though family-friendly still is a travel-industry
byword
, hotels and resorts
also are catering to adults who want their own space.
It has become a
byword
for spiralling costs and delays.
Iwo became a
byword
for fighting while it was still being fought.
Veterans' hospitals used to be a
byword
for second-rate care or worse.
Barzun's breadth of erudition has been a
byword
among friends and colleagues for six decades.
It was a surprising appointment for a company that was then a
byword
for conformity.
Rustic elegance is the
byword
for this resort with plenty of activities to keep you interested.
Once a
byword
for famine, it is now the world's tenth-largest producer of livestock.
The industry became a
byword
for mendacity, secrecy and profligacy with taxpayers' money.
Social promotion has now become the
byword
for people to show for politicians to show their support.
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Related Words
proverb
MORE
Matching Quote
"Has he all that the world loves and admires and covets?—he must cast behind him their admiration, and afflict them by faithfulness to his truth, and become a
byword
and a hissing."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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