gnome
English meaning: Gnome
Definition
A brief reflection or maxim; a pithy saying.
Example
“A cheerful little gnome stood among the flowers in the garden.”
Another example: “The old book was full of gnomes, brief maxims about how to live wisely.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Most familiar as a small, often mischievous creature of folklore, popularized as a garden ornament ('garden gnome'). The literary sense here ('a pithy maxim') is rare and formal. 'GNOME' is also a Linux desktop environment. Neutral to literary register.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Modern Latin 'gnomus', coined by the alchemist Paracelsus in the 16th century for an earth-dwelling spirit; the 'maxim' sense is from Greek 'gnome' (opinion, judgment).
Synonyms
- dwarf
- goblin
- sprite
- maxim
- aphorism
Related Words
- keyring
- screensaver
- hig
- fallback
- mutter
- ubuntu
- desktop
- fedora
- rotary
- lancer
Common Collocations
- garden gnome
- mischievous gnome
- gnome of zurich
- forest gnome
Word Forms
gnome (n); gnomes (pl); gnomic (adj)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B