byword.
A proverb or proverbial expression, common saying; a frequently used word or phrase.
Meaning & usage
A proverb or proverbial expression, common saying; a frequently used word or phrase.
A characteristic word or expression; a word or phrase associated with a person or group.
Someone or something that stands as an example (i.e. metonymically) for something else, by having some of that something's characteristic traits.
An object of notoriety or contempt, scorn or derision.
A nickname or epithet.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English byword, byworde (“proverb”), from Old English bīword, bīwyrd, bīwyrde (“proverb, household word", also "adverb”), from Proto-West Germanic *bīwurdī, equivalent to by- + word. Compare Latin proverbium, which byword may possibly be a translation of. Cognate with Old High German pīwurti (“proverb”). Compare also Old English bīspel (“proverb, example”), bīcwide (“byword, proverb, tale, fable”), Dutch bijwoord (“adverb”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.