See proverbial in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for proverbial meaning in English (9.2kB)
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbialise"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbialism"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbialist"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbiality"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbialize"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbially"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "proverbialness"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "the proverbial dog that caught the car"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "unproverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "up the proverbial"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "prōverbiālis"
},
"expansion": "Latin prōverbiālis",
"name": "uder"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "proverb",
"3": "ial"
},
"expansion": "proverb + -ial",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "* From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more proverbial",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most proverbial",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript)",
"text": "Doris: You're making me feel like the proverbial stepmother."
}
],
"glosses": [
"Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale."
],
"id": "en-proverbial-en-adj-xQz5IxUy",
"links": [
[
"proverb",
"proverb"
],
[
"cliché",
"cliché"
],
[
"fable",
"fable"
],
[
"fairy tale",
"fairy tale"
]
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "poslovičen",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "пословичен"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "příslovečný"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverba"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "sananlaskumainen"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "sprichwörtlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "paroimiakós",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "παροιμιακός"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbiale"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "prōverbiālis"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "провербиа́льный"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "poslóvičnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "посло́вичный"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "провербіа́льний"
},
{
"_dis1": "89 5 6",
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "diarhebol"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "6 40 5 15 34",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "the proverbial smoking gun",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "proverbial spilled milk",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "The visit was a warning shot across our proverbial bows",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor."
],
"id": "en-proverbial-en-adj-8-nYOURX",
"links": [
[
"literal",
"literal"
],
[
"metaphor",
"metaphor"
]
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family."
}
],
"glosses": [
"Widely known; famous; stereotypical."
],
"id": "en-proverbial-en-adj-wwTg4US-",
"links": [
[
"known",
"known"
],
[
"famous",
"famous"
],
[
"stereotypical",
"stereotypical"
]
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "obštoizvesten",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "общоизвестен"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverba"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "tunnettu"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "maankuulu"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "kuuluisa"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "sprichwörtlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "paroimiódis",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "παροιμιώδης"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbiale"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "obščeizvéstnyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "общеизве́стный"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "preslovútyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "преслову́тый"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "провербиа́льный"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 9 89",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "allmänt känd"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
],
"text": "Audio (Southern England)"
}
],
"word": "proverbial"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "prōverbiālis"
},
"expansion": "Latin prōverbiālis",
"name": "uder"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "proverb",
"3": "ial"
},
"expansion": "proverb + -ial",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "* From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial",
"forms": [
{
"form": "proverbials",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "proverbial (plural proverbials)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English euphemisms",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "6 40 5 15 34",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan."
},
{
"text": "Are you taking the proverbial?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase."
],
"id": "en-proverbial-en-noun-QhxX~1kk",
"links": [
[
"unacceptable",
"unacceptable"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(euphemistic) Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase."
],
"tags": [
"euphemistic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English euphemisms",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "6 40 5 15 34",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You'll find they've got you by the proverbials."
}
],
"glosses": [
"The groin or the testicles."
],
"id": "en-proverbial-en-noun-v11C2wXU",
"links": [
[
"groin",
"groin"
],
[
"testicle",
"testicle"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(euphemistic, in the plural) The groin or the testicles."
],
"tags": [
"euphemistic",
"in-plural"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "18 82",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "groin",
"tags": [
"plural"
],
"word": "sukukalleudet"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
],
"text": "Audio (Southern England)"
}
],
"word": "proverbial"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 4-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "proverbialise"
},
{
"word": "proverbialism"
},
{
"word": "proverbialist"
},
{
"word": "proverbiality"
},
{
"word": "proverbialize"
},
{
"word": "proverbially"
},
{
"word": "proverbialness"
},
{
"word": "the proverbial dog that caught the car"
},
{
"word": "unproverbial"
},
{
"word": "up the proverbial"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "prōverbiālis"
},
"expansion": "Latin prōverbiālis",
"name": "uder"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "proverb",
"3": "ial"
},
"expansion": "proverb + -ial",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "* From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more proverbial",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most proverbial",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript)",
"text": "Doris: You're making me feel like the proverbial stepmother."
}
],
"glosses": [
"Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale."
],
"links": [
[
"proverb",
"proverb"
],
[
"cliché",
"cliché"
],
[
"fable",
"fable"
],
[
"fairy tale",
"fairy tale"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "the proverbial smoking gun",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "proverbial spilled milk",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "The visit was a warning shot across our proverbial bows",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor."
],
"links": [
[
"literal",
"literal"
],
[
"metaphor",
"metaphor"
]
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family."
}
],
"glosses": [
"Widely known; famous; stereotypical."
],
"links": [
[
"known",
"known"
],
[
"famous",
"famous"
],
[
"stereotypical",
"stereotypical"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
],
"text": "Audio (Southern England)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "poslovičen",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "пословичен"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "příslovečný"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverba"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "sananlaskumainen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "sprichwörtlich"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "paroimiakós",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "παροιμιακός"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbiale"
},
{
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "prōverbiālis"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "провербиа́льный"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "poslóvičnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "посло́вичный"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "провербіа́льний"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "of a proverb",
"word": "diarhebol"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "obštoizvesten",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "общоизвестен"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverba"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "tunnettu"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "maankuulu"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "kuuluisa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "sprichwörtlich"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "paroimiódis",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "παροιμιώδης"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbiale"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "obščeizvéstnyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "общеизве́стный"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "preslovútyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "преслову́тый"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "proverbiálʹnyj",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "провербиа́льный"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "proverbial"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "widely known; famous",
"word": "allmänt känd"
}
],
"word": "proverbial"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 4-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "prōverbiālis"
},
"expansion": "Latin prōverbiālis",
"name": "uder"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "proverb",
"3": "ial"
},
"expansion": "proverb + -ial",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "* From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial",
"forms": [
{
"form": "proverbials",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "proverbial (plural proverbials)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English euphemisms"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan."
},
{
"text": "Are you taking the proverbial?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase."
],
"links": [
[
"unacceptable",
"unacceptable"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(euphemistic) Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase."
],
"tags": [
"euphemistic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English euphemisms"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You'll find they've got you by the proverbials."
}
],
"glosses": [
"The groin or the testicles."
],
"links": [
[
"groin",
"groin"
],
[
"testicle",
"testicle"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(euphemistic, in the plural) The groin or the testicles."
],
"tags": [
"euphemistic",
"in-plural"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/56/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-proverbial.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
],
"text": "Audio (Southern England)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "groin",
"tags": [
"plural"
],
"word": "sukukalleudet"
}
],
"word": "proverbial"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (a644e18 and edd475d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.