bon mot
[bon moh; French bawn moh]
noun, plural bons mots [bon mohz; French bawn moh] /ˈbɒn ˈmoʊz; French bɔ̃ ˈmoʊ/.
a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism.
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RELATED WORDS
pun, humor, antic, farce, one-liner, trick, laugh, parody, gag, stunt, wisecrack, prank, witticism, repartee, gibe, satire, banter, retort, pleasantry, saying
Origin of bon mot
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for bon mot
Historical Examples of bon mot
A bon-mot of one of the Townsends is recorded, on his taking his seat.
Here he rubbed his hands excessively, and looked round the table for a smile at the bon-mot.
St. Evremond said he would gladly die to go off with so successful a bon-mot.
The Wits and Beaux of SocietyGrace Wharton and Philip Wharton
France has no 'Joe Miller;' for a bon-mot there, however good, is only appreciated historically.
The Wits and Beaux of SocietyGrace Wharton and Philip Wharton
A joke, a banter, a bon-mot, make more impression upon the man of the world than all the grave notions of his religion.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)Jean Meslier
bon mot
noun plural bons mots (bɔ̃ mo)
Word Origin for bon mot
French, literally: good word
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper