idiom
an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.
a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.
a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language.
the peculiar character or genius of a language.
a distinct style or character, in music, art, etc.: the idiom of Bach.
Origin of idiom
1synonym study For idiom
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use idiom in a sentence
These vines are indirectly linked to one of the most notable idioms of our day.
Can I take refuge in the thought that the mash-up of French and American pastry idioms gives this donut some postmodern cred?
Other people did it, in their day, using their own icons and idioms.
And all over the world each language would be taught with the same accent and quantities and idioms—a very desirable thing indeed.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) WellsThey understand one another perfectly in their respective idioms, and much better than we do.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
It is only the habit of speaking, the idioms and niceties, which cannot be acquired except by converse with a native.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyNotwithstanding the fact that we owe some of our strongest idioms to slang, the free use of slang always vulgarizes.
English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) WebsterHis reading has been principally confined to French authors; hence the Gallic idioms so common in his productions.
British Dictionary definitions for idiom
/ (ˈɪdɪəm) /
a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from the meanings of the constituent words, as for example (It was raining) cats and dogs
linguistic usage that is grammatical and natural to native speakers of a language
the characteristic vocabulary or usage of a specific human group or subject
the characteristic artistic style of an individual, school, period, etc
Origin of idiom
1Derived forms of idiom
- idiomatic (ˌɪdɪəˈmætɪk) or idiomatical, adjective
- idiomatically, adverb
- idiomaticalness, 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
Cultural definitions for idiom
A traditional way of saying something. Often an idiom, such as “under the weather,” does not seem to make sense if taken literally. Someone unfamiliar with English idioms would probably not understand that to be “under the weather” is to be sick. (See examples under “Idioms.”)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse