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Synonyms

gnome

1 American  
[nohm] / noʊm /

noun

  1. (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.

  2. an expert in monetary or financial affairs; international banker or financier.

    the gnomes of Zurich.
gnome 2 American  
[nohm, noh-mee] / noʊm, ˈnoʊ mi /

noun

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

gnome 1 British  
/ nəʊm /

noun

  1. 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

  2. the statue of a gnome, esp in a garden

  3. a very small or ugly person

  4. facetious an international banker or financier (esp in the phrase gnomes of Zürich )

"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
gnome 2 British  
/ nəʊm /

noun

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

"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

Related Words

See goblin, sylph.

Other Word Forms

  • gnomish adjective

Etymology

Origin of gnome1

1705–15; from French from New Latin gnomus, perhaps from Greek gnṓmē; gnome 2

Origin of gnome2

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A couple have won a legal battle over a tiny strip of grass outside their house, after a neighbour tried to claim it as their own with a garden gnome.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Gromit's concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a smart gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2024

“It was a simple idea of, ‘What if Wallace invents a smart gnome, a robot gnome, to help Gromit in the garden, and things inevitably go wrong?’

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024

Around the trailer is a mini-wonderland of whimsical moss-covered surfaces, Sasquatch crossing signs and even the occasional gnome diorama.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2024

I grabbed a gnome by his leg just outside The Woods.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.