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aph·o·rism

aphorism

pronunciation:
ae f rih zm
part of speech: noun
definition: a terse, sometimes witty statement of a general truth or observation; adage.
Our grandmother shaped our minds with a steady stream of aphorisms such as "Waste not, want not."
synonyms:
adage, apothegm, gnome
similar words:
Atticism, axiom, byword, dictum, epigram, maxim, mot, proverb, quip, saw, saying, witticism
derivation: aphoristic (adj.)