proverb

[prov-erb]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

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

2. to make (something) a proverb

proverb

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.”)

Other Word Forms

• proverblike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of proverb¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of proverb¹

C14: via Old French from Latin prōverbium, from verbum word

Synonym Study

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.”

Example Sentences

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.

Read more on 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.

Read more on Literature

As the proverb tells us, “Speech is silver, silence is golden.”

Read more on Literature

"There's an African proverb that says: 'When the elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers,'" the employee said.

Read more on Barron's

The website led with what it called a proverb: “If you call one wolf, you invite the pack.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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