byword
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by·word
also by-word (bī′wûrd′)n.
1.
a. A proverbial expression; a proverb.
b. An often-used word or phrase.
2. One that represents a type, class, or quality: "Polyester got its déclassé reputation in the 1970s after cheap, poorly made double-knit leisure suits became a byword for bad taste" (Fortune).
3. An object of notoriety or interest: The eccentric poet was a byword in literary circles.
4. An epithet.
[Middle English byworde, from Old English bīword, translation of Latin prōverbium.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
byword
(ˈbaɪˌwɜːd)n
1. a person, place, or thing regarded as a perfect or proverbial example of something: their name is a byword for good service.
2. an object of scorn or derision
3. a common saying; proverb
[Old English bīwyrde; see by, word; compare Old High German pīwurti, from Latin prōverbium proverb]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
by•word
(ˈbaɪˌwɜrd)n.
1. a word or phrase associated with some person or thing.
2. a common saying; proverb.
3. a person regarded as the embodiment of a particular quality.
4. an object of reproach or scorn.
5. an epithet.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | byword - a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people locution, saying, expression - a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
byword
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
byword
[ˈbaɪwɜːd] NCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
byword
[ˈbaɪwɜːrd] nto be a byword for → être synonyme de (fig)by-your-leave [ˌbaɪˈjəˈliːv] n
without so much as a by-your-leave → sans même demander la permission
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995