common noun
Save This Word!
noun Grammar.
a noun that may be preceded by an article or other limiting modifier and that denotes any or all of a class of entities and not an individual, as man, city, horse, music.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Also called common name .
Compare proper noun.
Origin of common noun
First recorded in 1860–65
Words nearby common noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for common noun
“Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It?
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?
Read Poetry Like An Expert With These Advanced Poetic Terms
Systematic vs. Systemic: There’s A System To The Difference
British Dictionary definitions for common noun
common noun
noun
grammar a noun that refers to each member of a whole class sharing the features connoted by the noun, as for example planet, orange, and drumCompare proper noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012