proverb
Use Proverb in a sentence
noun Grammar.
a word that can substitute for a verb or verb phrase, as do in They never attend board meetings, but we do regularly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
ərb noun
1.
a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage; saw.
2.
a wise saying or precept; a didactic sentence.
3.
a person or thing that is commonly regarded as an embodiment or representation of some quality; byword.
4.
Bible. a profound saying, maxim, or oracular utterance requiring interpretation.
verb (used with object)
5.
to utter in the form of a proverb.
6.
to make (something) the subject of a proverb.
7.
to make a byword of.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English proverbe < Middle French < Latin prōverbium adage, equivalent to prō- pro-1 + verb(um) word + -ium -ium
1275–1325; Middle English proverbe < Middle French < Latin prōverbium adage, equivalent to prō- pro-1 + verb(um) word + -ium -ium
Related forms
prov·erb·like, adjective
Synonyms
1. aphorism, apothegm. Proverb, maxim are terms for short, pithy sayings. A proverb is such a saying popularly known and repeated, usually expressing simply and concretely, though often metaphorically, a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humankind: “A stitch in time saves nine.” A maxim is a brief statement of a general and practical truth, especially one that serves as a rule of conduct or a precept: “It is wise to risk no more than one can afford to lose.”.
1. aphorism, apothegm. Proverb, maxim are terms for short, pithy sayings. A proverb is such a saying popularly known and repeated, usually expressing simply and concretely, though often metaphorically, a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humankind: “A stitch in time saves nine.” A maxim is a brief statement of a general and practical truth, especially one that serves as a rule of conduct or a precept: “It is wise to risk no more than one can afford to lose.”.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To proverb
00:10
Proverb
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to bark; yelp. |
| to flee; abscond: |
Collins
World English Dictionary
proverb (ˈprɒvɜːb) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a short, memorable, and often highly condensed saying embodying, esp with bold imagery, some commonplace fact or experience |
| 2. | a person or thing exemplary in respect of a characteristic: Antarctica is a proverb for extreme cold |
| 3. | ecclesiast a wise saying or admonition providing guidance |
| —vb | |
| 4. | to utter or describe (something) in the form of a proverb |
| 5. | to make (something) a proverb |
| [C14: via Old French from Latin prōverbium, from verbum word] | |
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
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
proverb
c.1300, in boke of Prouerbyys, the O.T. book, from O.Fr. proverbe (12c.), from L. proverbium "a common saying," lit. "words put forward," from pro- "forth" + verbum "word" (see verb). Used generally from late 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
proverb definition
A brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief, such as “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” (See examples under “Proverbs.”)
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Easton
Bible Dictionary
Proverb definition
a trite maxim; a similitude; a parable. The Hebrew word thus rendered (mashal) has a wide signification. It comes from a root meaning "to be like," "parable." Rendered "proverb" in Isa. 14:4; Hab. 2:6; "dark saying" in Ps. 49:4, Num. 12:8. Ahab's defiant words in answer to the insolent demands of Benhadad, "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off," is a well known instance of a proverbial saying (1 Kings 20:11).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
