"form of speech peculiar to a people or place", from Middle French idiome (16th...
(Source: Online Etymology) [more]
a combination of words that has a figurative meaning, due to its common usage. An idiom's figurative meaning is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it's made. Idioms are numerous and they occur frequently in all ... (42 of 2234 words, 2 images)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom
an expression with a figurative meaning. Idiom may also refer to: Instrumental idiom, a concept in music | Programming idiom, a concept in computer science | Idiom Island, an island in Montana in the Yellowstone River | Idiom, a company acquired by SDL... (40 of 115 words, 8 definitions)
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" | ... (25 of 544 words, 4 definitions, 9 usage examples, pronunciation)
the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class; ... | an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself ... (27 of 311 words, 3 definitions, 2 usage examples, pronunciation)
[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. | An artistic style (for example, in art, ... (38 of 156 words, 6 definitions, 3 usage examples, pronunciation)
A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to ... | The specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given ... (25 of 155 words, 6 definitions, 3 usage examples, pronunciation)
a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. over the moon, see the light). | a ... (27 of 127 words, 4 definitions, 2 usage examples, pronunciation)
an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of ... | a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people. | a ... (25 of 127 words, 5 definitions, 1 usage example, pronunciation)
the language or dialect of a people, region, class, etc. | the usual way in which the words of a particular language are joined together to express ... (26 of 125 words, 5 definitions, 1 usage example, pronunciation)
a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word understood on its own | [formal] the ... (28 of 88 words, 2 definitions, 2 usage examples, pronunciation)
[countable, linguistics] an expression whose meaning is different from the ... | [singular, uncountable] a particular style in language, art, or music (21 of 70 words, 2 definitions, 1 usage example, pronunciation)
a fixed distinctive expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the combined meanings of its actual words | the way of using a language that comes ... (25 of 100 words, 4 definitions, pronunciation)
encarta.msn.com/dictionary 1861619997/definition.html [offline]
First use: 1580s
Origin: "form of speech peculiar to a people or place", from Middle French idiome (16th century) and directly from Late Latin idioma "a ... (23 of 145 etymology words)
Origin: 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... (26 of 43 etymology words)
First use: 1588
Origin: Middle French and Late Latin; Middle French idiome, from Late Latin idioma individual peculiarity of language, from Greek ... (19 of 27 etymology words)
First use: late 16th century
Origin: French idiome, or via late Latin from Greek idiōma "private property, peculiar phraseology", from idiousthai 'make one's own', ... (21 of 25 etymology words)
Origin: Late Latin idiōma, idiōmat-, from Greek, from idiousthai, to make one's own, from idios, own, personal, private; see swe- in Indo-European roots.
Origin: French and Late Latin: French idiome from Late Latin idioma from Greek idiōma, peculiarity, idiom from idios: see "idio-"
First use: 16th century
Origin: from Latin idiōma peculiarity of language, from Greek; see idio-
First use: Late 16th century
Origin: Directly or via French from late Latin idioma from Greek, "property, peculiarity" from idios
encarta.msn.com/dictionary 1861619997/definition.html [offline]
Audio: North American pronunciation of "idiom"
www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php file=idiom001 word=idiom
Page last updated: 2013-06-26