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idiom
[ id-ee-uhm ]
noun
- an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.
- a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.
- a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language.
- the peculiar character or genius of a language.
- a distinct style or character, in music, art, etc.:
the idiom of Bach.
idiom
/ ˈɪdɪəm; ˌɪdɪəˈmætɪk /
noun
- a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from the meanings of the constituent words, as for example ( It was raining ) cats and dogs
- linguistic usage that is grammatical and natural to native speakers of a language
- the characteristic vocabulary or usage of a specific human group or subject
- the characteristic artistic style of an individual, school, period, etc
idiom
- A traditional way of saying something. Often an idiom, such as “under the weather,” does not seem to make sense if taken literally. Someone unfamiliar with English idioms would probably not understand that to be “under the weather” is to be sick. ( See examples under “Idioms.” )
Derived Forms
- ˌidioˈmaticalness, noun
- ˌidioˈmatically, adverb
- idiomatic, adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of idiom1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
His fellow Italian greeted him with an idiom meaning "now it is all serious stuff, mate".
Williams was writing in an idiom that was unique to him.
She believes wellness culture has become culty in its own right, with wishy-washy aspects from different belief systems amalgamated into social media-friendly idioms.
Harold knows nothing of the real world, including irony, idioms or brands, and like Amelia, he takes everything literally, which is a problem when he’s wielding a crayon that can draw anything into being.
The rhymed verse the characters speak in doesn’t at all hinder them from expressing themselves colloquially, in idioms that sound better with a languorous Southern lilt.
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More About Idiom
What does idiom mean?
An idiom is a term whose meaning cannot be determined from the literal meanings of the words it is made of.
Many idioms are figurative—they’re intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved.
It is raining cats and dogs is a common English idiom. Literally, that sentence would mean animals are falling from the clouds. What the idiom actually means is that it is raining very heavily.
Here are some more examples of common English idioms:
- Hit the sack means to go to sleep.
- Under the weather means sick.
- You can say that again means a person has said something true and you agree.
Many phrasal verbs are idioms since they include a word (often a preposition) whose literal meaning doesn’t apply. Some examples are take off (like an airplane), give out (meaning to distribute), and open up (which means the same thing as open). Sometimes, two different phrasal verbs can mean the same thing even when their prepositions are usually opposites. For example, lock up and lock down can both mean to secure a place by locking the doors and similar actions.
Idioms are common in most languages. Over time, native speakers of a language learn many idioms that they use without thinking about them. Because their meanings can’t be figured out from their parts, idioms can be very difficult for nonnative speakers to understand.
The adjective form of idiom is idiomatic. For example, break a leg is an idiomatic expression that means “good luck.”
Why is idiom important?
The first records of the term idiom come from the 1560s. It ultimately comes from the Greek idíōma, meaning “peculiarity” or “specific property.” Idioms exist in even the most ancient languages.
Idioms are a type of figure of speech. Metaphors and similes are also figures of speech. We use figures of speech all the time, even if we don’t even realize it, and for good reason. They allow us to express ideas in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Idioms make language more colorful and interesting, but they can also make it harder to understand.
Did you know ... ?
The word idiom can also be used in a more general way to refer to a language, dialect, or style of speaking that’s specific to a particular group of people.
What are real-life examples of idioms?
Here are some examples of common English idioms and their meanings:
- Bite the bullet: complete an undesirable task
- Blessing in disguise: a good thing that seemed bad at first
- To make a long story short: to summarize
- Get bent out of shape: to become upset
- Cross that bridge when we come to it: handle a problem when it arises
- Your guess is as good as mine: I don’t know
- Costs an arm and a leg: costs a lot of money
People use idioms every day and often enjoy learning new ones.
Today I learned the Eastern European translation of the English idiom, “Kill two birds with one stone”:
“Shoot two rabbits with the same bullet”.Theirs is way cooler than ours, gonna start using that.
— Andrew Choi (@ChoiVGK) August 18, 2020
Me: *uses an idiom*
Brain: let’s spend the next hour thinking of where that phrase came from— Emet Selch’s gay little wave (@EmetSelchSimp) August 19, 2020
What other words are related to idiom?
Quiz yourself!
True or False?
An idiom is an expression that literally says what it means.
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