Word of the Day : July 19, 2019

gnomic \NOH-mik\ adjective

Definition

1 : characterized by aphorism

2 : given to the composition of aphoristic writing

Did You Know?

A gnome is an aphorism—that is, an observation or sentiment reduced to the form of a saying. Gnomes are sometimes couched in metaphorical or figurative language, they are often quite clever, and they are always concise. We borrowed the word gnome in the 16th century from the Greeks, who based their gnome on the verb gignōskein, meaning "to know." (The other gnome—referring to the dwarf of folklore—comes from New Latin and is unrelated to the aphoristic gnome.) We began using gnomic, the adjective form of gnome, in the late 18th century. It describes a style of writing, or sometimes speech, characterized by pithy phrases, which are often terse to the point of mysteriousness.

Aired July 19, 2019

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com