proverbial
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
- From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)
- Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.
- 1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript):
- Doris: You're making me feel like the proverbial stepmother.
- 1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript):
- Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor.
- the proverbial smoking gun
- proverbial spilled milk
- The visit was a warning shot across our proverbial bows
- Widely known; famous; stereotypical.
- I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
of a proverb
|
widely known; famous
|
Noun[edit]
proverbial (plural proverbials)
- (euphemistic) Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase.
- I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan.
- Are you taking the proverbial?
- (euphemistic, in the plural) The groin or the testicles.
- You'll find they've got you by the proverbials.
Translations[edit]
groin
|
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin prōverbiālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): (Central) [pɾu.βər.biˈal]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [pɾo.vər.biˈal]
- IPA(key): (Valencian) [pɾo.veɾ.biˈal]
Noun[edit]
proverbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural proverbials)
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “proverbial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
French[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (file)
Adjective[edit]
proverbial (feminine proverbiale, masculine plural proverbiaux, feminine plural proverbiales)
Further reading[edit]
- “proverbial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French proverbial.
Adjective[edit]
proverbial m or n (feminine singular proverbială, masculine plural proverbiali, feminine and neuter plural proverbiale)
Declension[edit]
Declension of proverbial
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | proverbial | proverbială | proverbiali | proverbiale | ||
definite | proverbialul | proverbiala | proverbialii | proverbialele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | proverbial | proverbiale | proverbiali | proverbiale | ||
definite | proverbialului | proverbialei | proverbialilor | proverbialelor |
Spanish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
proverbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural proverbiales)
Derived terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “proverbial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Categories:
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms suffixed with -ial
- English 4-syllable words
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- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
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- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English euphemisms
- Catalan terms borrowed from Latin
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
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- Spanish 3-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Spanish/al
- Rhymes:Spanish/al/3 syllables
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish epicene adjectives