idiom
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
- For Wiktionary's handling of idioms, see Wiktionary:Idioms
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle French idiome, and its source, Late Latin idioma, from Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα (idioma, “a peculiarity, property, a peculiar phraseology, idiom”), from ἰδιοῦσθαι (idiousthai, “to make one's own, appropriate to oneself”), from ἴδιος (idios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private, personal, peculiar, separate”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
idiom (plural idioms or idiomata)
- (now rare) A manner of speaking, a way of expressing oneself.
- A language or dialect.
- Specifically, a particular variety of language; a restricted dialect used in a given historical period, context etc.
- 2010, Christopher Hitchens, "The Other L-Word", Vanity Fair, 13 Jan 2010:
- Many parents and teachers have become irritated to the point of distraction at the way the weed-style growth of "like" has spread through the idiom of the young.
- 2010, Christopher Hitchens, "The Other L-Word", Vanity Fair, 13 Jan 2010:
- An artistic style (for example, in art, architecture, or music); an instance of such a style.
- An expression peculiar to or characteristic of a particular language, especially when the meaning is illogical or separate from the meanings of its component words.
- 2008, Patricia Hampl, “You’re History”, in Patricia Hampl and Elaine Tyler May (editors), Tell Me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life, Minnesota Historical Society, ISBN 9780873516303, page 134:
- You’re history, we say […] . Surely it is an American idiom. Impossible to imagine a postwar European saying, “You’re history. . . . That’s history,” meaning fuhgeddaboudit, pal.
- 2008, Patricia Hampl, “You’re History”, in Patricia Hampl and Elaine Tyler May (editors), Tell Me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life, Minnesota Historical Society, ISBN 9780873516303, page 134:
- (programming) A programming construct or phraseology generally held to be the most efficient, elegant or effective means to achieve a particular result or behavior.
- 2005, Magnus Lie Hetland, Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional, ISBN 159059519X, page 100:
- I have to use the same assignment and call to raw_input in two places. How can I avoid that? I can use the while True/break idiom: […]
- 2005, Magnus Lie Hetland, Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional, ISBN 159059519X, page 100:
[edit] Synonyms
- (phrase): expression (loosely), form of words (loosely), phrase (loosely)
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
expression peculiar to a given language
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manner of speaking
instance of such style
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language
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- American idioms - a comprehensive list of idioms, browsable through alphabetical links. Includes parts of speech, definitions and example sentences.
- English and American Idioms - RSS subscription channel
- Glossary of Linguistics
- Today's English Idioms at GoEnglish.com
- idiom in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- idiom in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Serbo-Croatian
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /idǐoːm/
- Hyphenation: i‧di‧om
[edit] Noun
idìōm m. (Cyrillic spelling идѝо̄м)
[edit] Declension
declension of idiom
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | idìōm | idiomi |
| genitive | idióma | idioma |
| dative | idiomu | idiomima |
| accusative | idiom | idiome |
| vocative | idiome | idiomi |
| locative | idiomu | idiomima |
| instrumental | idiomom | idiomima |
