Apothegm

Pronunciation

• enPR: ăpʹə-thÄ•m′, IPA: /ˈæp.É™.θɛm/
• Homophones: apothem, apophthegm

Alternative forms

• apophthegm

Origin

Mid 16th century: from French apophthegme or Medieval Latin apothegma, from Ancient Greek, from ἀποφθέγγομαι (apophthengomai, "speak out")

Full definition of apothegm

Noun

1. A short, witty, instructive saying; an aphorism or maxim.
• 1665, Richard Head, The English Rogue: DeÅ¿cribed, in the Life of Merington Latroon, A Witty Extravagant, Being a Compleat HiÅ¿tory of the MoÅ¿t Eminent Cheats of Both Sexes, Henry Marsh, page 355,Every glaÅ¿s of wine, or bit almoÅ¿t, that I committed to my mouth, Å¿he uÅ¿hered thither with Å¿ome Apothegm or other: the whole Å¿eries, indeed, of her diÅ¿courÅ¿e, was compoÅ¿ed of nothing but reaÅ¿on or wit, which made me admire her; which Å¿he eaÅ¿ily underÅ¿tood, I perceived by her Å¿miles, when Å¿he obÅ¿erved me gaping, as it were, when Å¿he Å¿poke, as if I would have eaten up her Words.
• 1920, E. F. Benson, Queen Lucia, George H. Doran Company, –"You are too wonderful!" he would say. "How do you find time for everything?"She rejoined with the apophthegm that made the rounds of Riseholme next day."My dear, it is just busy people that have time for everything."
• 2008, Dave Duncan (writer), The Alchemist’s Apprentice, , ISBN 978-0-441-01575-7, page 114,Which means roughly that business keeps one safe from love—ominous talk when one’s lover is a courtesan. I hoped that it was just another literary conceit I ought to know. (It is, I later learned, an apothegm by Ovid.)

Synonyms

• See .