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saying

 - 6 dictionary results
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say⋅ing

  [sey-ing]
–noun
1. something said, esp. a proverb or apothegm.
—Idiom
2. go without saying, to be completely self-evident; be understood: It goes without saying that you are welcome to visit us at any time.
Use saying in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; ME (ger.); see say 1 , -ing 1

Synonyms:
1. maxim, adage, saw, aphorism.
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say

1  [sey] verb, said, say⋅ing, adverb, noun, interjection
–verb (used with object)
1. to utter or pronounce; speak: What did you say? I said “Hello!”
2. to express in words; state; declare; word: Say it clearly and simply. It's hard to know how to say this tactfully.
3. to state as an opinion or judgment: I say her plan is the better one.
4. to be certain, precise, or assured about; determine: It is hard to say what is wrong.
5. to recite or repeat: to say one's prayers.
6. to report or allege; maintain: People say he will resign.
7. to express (a message, viewpoint, etc.), as through a literary or other artistic medium: a writer with something to say.
8. to indicate or show: What does your watch say?
9. to assume as a hypothesis or estimate: Let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's true.
–verb (used without object)
10. to speak; declare; express an opinion.
–adverb
11. approximately; about: It's, say, 14 feet long.
12. for example: If you serve, say tuna fish and potato chips, it will cost much less.
–noun
13. what a person says or has to say.
14. the right or opportunity to speak, decide, or exercise influence: to have one's say in choosing the candidate.
15. a turn to say something: It is now my say.
–interjection
16. (used to express surprise, get attention, etc.)
—Idiom
17. that is to say, that is what is meant; in other words: I believe his account of the story, that is to say, I have no reason to doubt it.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME seyen, seggen, OE secgan; c. D zeggen, G sagen, ON segja; akin to saw 3

Related forms:
sayer, noun

say

2  [sey]
–verb (used with object), noun British Dialect.
assay.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME sayen, aph. var. of assayen to assay
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To saying
say   (sā)   
v.   said (sěd), say·ing, says (sěz)

v.   tr.

  1. To utter aloud; pronounce: The children said, "Good morning."

  2. To express in words: Say what's on your mind.

    1. To state as one's opinion or judgment; declare: I say let's eat out.

    2. To state as a determination of fact: It's hard to say who is right in this matter.

    3. To indicate; show: The clock says half past two.

    4. To give nonverbal expression to; signify or embody: It was an act that said "devotion."

  4. To repeat or recite: said grace.

  5. To report or maintain; allege.

    1. To indicate; show: The clock says half past two.

    2. To give nonverbal expression to; signify or embody: It was an act that said "devotion."

  7. To suppose; assume: Let's say that you're right.

v.   intr.
To make a statement; express oneself: The story must be true because the teacher said so.
n.  

  1. A turn or chance to speak: Having had my say, I sat down.

  2. The right or power to influence or make a decision: Citizens have a say in the councils of government. All I want is some say in the matter.

  3. Archaic Something said; a statement.

adv.  

  1. Approximately: There were, say, 500 people present.

  2. For instance: a woodwind, say an oboe.

interj.  Used to express surprise or appeal for someone's attention.

[Middle English seien, from Old English secgan; see sekw-3 in Indo-European roots.]
say'er n.
say·ing   (sā'ĭng)   
n.  Something, such as an adage or maxim, that is said.
Synonyms: These nouns refer to concise verbal expressions setting forth wisdom or a truth. A saying is an often repeated and familiar expression: a collection of philosophical sayings.
Maxim denotes particularly an expression of a general truth or a rule of conduct: "For a wise man, he seemed to me ... to be governed too much by general maxims" (Edmund Burke).
Adage applies to a saying that has gained credit through long use: a gift that gave no credence to the adage, "Good things come in small packages."
Saw often refers to a familiar saying that has become trite through frequent repetition: old saws that gave little comfort to the losing team.
A motto expresses the aims, character, or guiding principles of a person, group, or institution: "Exuberance over taste" is my motto.
An epigram is a witty expression, often paradoxical or satirical and neatly or brilliantly phrased: In his epigram Samuel Johnson called remarriage a "triumph of hope over experience."
Proverb refers to an old and popular saying that illustrates something such as a basic truth or a practical precept: "Slow and steady wins the race" is a proverb to live by.
Aphorism, denoting a concise expression of a truth or principle, implies depth of content and stylistic distinction: Few writers have coined more aphorisms than Benjamin Franklin.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

say  (n.)
"what someone says," 1571, from say (v.). Extended form say-so is first recorded 1637. Saying "utterance, recitation, act of the verb 'say' " is recorded from c.1300; meaning "something that has been said" (usually by someone thought important) is from c.1303; sense of "a proverb" is first attested c.1450.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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