proverb

American  

[prov-erb] / ˈprɒv ərb /

noun

1. a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage; saw.

   Synonyms:

   apothegm, aphorism

2. a wise saying or precept; a didactic sentence.

3. a person or thing that is commonly regarded as an embodiment or representation of some quality; byword.

4. Bible. a profound saying, maxim, or oracular utterance requiring interpretation.

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verb (used with object)

1. to utter in the form of a proverb.

2. to make (something) the subject of a proverb.

3. to make a byword of.

proverb British  

/ ˈprɒvɜːb /

noun

1. a short, memorable, and often highly condensed saying embodying, esp with bold imagery, some commonplace fact or experience

2. a person or thing exemplary in respect of a characteristic

   Antarctica is a proverb for extreme cold

3. ecclesiast a wise saying or admonition providing guidance

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verb

1. to utter or describe (something) in the form of a proverb

2. to make (something) a proverb

proverb Cultural  

1. A brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief, such as “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” (See examples under “Proverbs.”)

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Related Words

Proverb, maxim are terms for short, pithy sayings. A proverb is such a saying popularly known and repeated, usually expressing simply and concretely, though often metaphorically, a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humankind: “A stitch in time saves nine.” A maxim is a brief statement of a general and practical truth, especially one that serves as a rule of conduct or a precept: “It is wise to risk no more than one can afford to lose.”

Other Word Forms

• proverblike adjective

Etymology

Origin of proverb

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English proverbe, from Middle French, from Latin prōverbium “adage,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + verb(um) word + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

Her favorite proverb, which is included in the book, is this: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The weak controls aren’t a good look, evoking the old proverb about the shoemaker whose children go barefoot.

From The Wall Street Journal

I conclude not with a joke but with a proverb at the essence of most Jewish jokes: What is as whole as a Jew with a broken heart?

From The Wall Street Journal

Isaiah Berlin, drawing on an ancient Greek proverb, famously observed that Leo Tolstoy was a foxlike writer who knew many things but longed to be someone who, like the hedgehog, knew one big thing.

From The Wall Street Journal

If this is the bane of the sea—the first one in the proverb— I don’t think I’m going to make it to the other ones.

From Literature

Related Words

• adage
• aphorism
• axiom
• dictum
• epigram
• maxim
• witticism