- adage
- Even the most careful users of English frequently, but unnecessarily, refer to an "old adage." An adage is by definition old.
Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors. 2013.
adage
Look at other dictionaries:
Adage — Ad age, n. [F. adage, fr. L. adagium; ad + the root of L. aio I say.] An old saying, which has obtained credit by long use; a proverb. [1913 Webster] Letting I dare not wait upon I would, Like the poor cat i the adage. Shak. [1913 Webster] Syn:… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adage — (n.) 1540s, M.Fr. adage, from L. adagium adage, proverb, apparently from adagio, from ad to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + *agi , root of aio I say, from PIE *ag to speak. But Tucker thinks the second element is rather ago … Etymology dictionary
adage — ADAGE. sub. m. Proverbe. Il n est guère d usage qu en plaisanterie, particulièrement dans cette phrase, On dit en commun adage. On dit aussi, D un homme qui affecte un ton sentencieux, Il ne parle que par adages. On appelle Les Adages d Érasme,… … Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798
adage — index catchword, maxim, phrase, principle (axiom) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
adage — bradage grenadage … Dictionnaire des rimes
adage — *saying, saw, proverb, maxim, motto, epigram, aphorism, apothegm … New Dictionary of Synonyms
adage — [n] saying or proverb aphorism, apothegm, axiom, byword, dictum, maxim, motto, precept, saw; concept 276 … New thesaurus
adage — Adage, Adagium, adagij, Adagio, adagionis, Prouerbium … Thresor de la langue françoyse
adage — ADAGE. s. m. Proverbe. Il n est guere en usage qu en cette phrase. Les Adages d Erasme … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
adage — ► NOUN ▪ a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth. ORIGIN Latin adagium saying , from aio I say … English terms dictionary
adage — [ad′ij] n. [Fr < L adagium, adagio < ad , to + aio, I say < * agyo < IE base * ēg̑ , speak, say] an old saying that has been popularly accepted as a truth SYN. SAYING … English World dictionary
