gnome

[ nohm ]

/ noʊm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gnome ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(in folklore) one of a species of diminutive beings, usually described as shriveled little old men, that inhabit the interior of the earth and act as guardians of its treasures; troll.

an expert in monetary or financial affairs; international banker or financier: the gnomes of Zurich.

RELATED WORDS

fairy, elf

Nearby words

Origin of gnome

1705–15; < French < New Latin gnomus, perhaps < Greek gnṓmē; see gnome²

SYNONYMS FOR gnome

1 See goblin, sylph.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gnome ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsgnom·ish, adjective

Definition for gnome (2 of 2)

gnome

[ nohm, noh-mee ]

/ noʊm, ˈnoʊ mi /

noun

a short, pithy expression of a general truth; aphorism.

Origin of gnome

First recorded in 1570–80, gnome is from the Greek word gnṓmē judgment, opinion, purpose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gnome

Strong: Was the gnome in Project X based on our experience taking a gnome across Europe?
‘Game Change’ and ‘21 Jump Street’: Screenwriters Danny Strong and Michael Bacall on Writing|Michael Bacall, Danny Strong|March 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Gnome and the Amy were rated at thirty, while the little Sue had but nine.
Four Afloat|Ralph Henry Barbour
Once more the gnome made his strange, croaking sound and the withered face twisted with anguish.
Jason|Justus Miles Forman
The gnome took out the stone heart, and replaced it for a moment by the old heart from the jar.
ZigZag Journeys in Northern Lands;|Hezekiah Butterworth

Gougou, like a gnome, started from the ground to meet them, and the dog at once lay down and fawned at his feet.
The Cursed Patois|Mary Hartwell Catherwood
This remarkable engine was the Gnome and the reason for its excellence lay in its unusual system of cooling.
The Romance of Aircraft|Lawrence Yard Smith

British Dictionary definitions for gnome (1 of 2)

gnome

/ (nəʊm) /

noun

one of a species of legendary creatures, usually resembling small misshapen old men, said to live in the depths of the earth and guard buried treasure

the statue of a gnome, esp in a garden

a very small or ugly person

facetious, or derogatory an international banker or financier (esp in the phrase gnomes of Zürich)

Derived Formsgnomish, adjective

Word Origin for gnome

C18: from French, from New Latin gnomus, coined by Paracelsus, of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for gnome (2 of 2)

gnome

/ (nəʊm) /

noun

a short pithy saying or maxim expressing a general truth or principle

Word Origin for gnome

C16: from Greek gnōmē, from gignōskein to know

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

Word Origin and History for gnome

gnome

"dwarf-like earth-dwelling spirit," 1712, from French gnome, from Modern Latin gnomus, used 16c. in a treatise by Paracelsus, who gave the name pigmaei or gnomi to elemental earth beings, possibly from Greek *genomos "earth-dweller" (cf. thalassonomos "inhabitant of the sea"). A less-likely suggestion is that Paracelsus based it on the homonym that means "intelligence" (preserved in gnomic). Popular in children's literature 19c. as a name for red-capped German and Swiss folklore dwarfs. Garden figurines first imported to England late 1860s from Germany.