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View synonyms for idiom
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.” )
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Derived Forms
- ˌidioˈmaticalness, noun
- ˌidioˈmatically, adverb
- idiomatic, adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of idiom1
C16: from Latin idiōma peculiarity of language, from Greek; see idio-
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Synonym Study
See phrase.
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