idiom
noun/ˈɪdiəm/
/ˈɪdiəm/
- [countable] a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words
- ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake.
Synonyms wordwordterm ▪ phrase ▪ expression ▪ idiomThese are all words for a unit of language used to express something.word a single unit of language that means something and can be spoken or written:Topics Languagec1- Do not write more than 200 words.
- He uses a lot of long words.
- technical/legal/scientific terms
- ‘Old man’ is a slang term for ‘father’.
- Who coined the phrase ‘fake news’?
- He tends to use a lot of slang expressions that I’ve never heard before.
- ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake.
- a word/term for something
- a new word/term/phrase/expression
- a technical/colloquial word/term/phrase/expression
- a slang word/term/phrase
- an idiomatic phrase/expression
- to use a(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiom
- to coin a(n) word/term/phrase/expression
- a(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiom means something
- [uncountable, countable] (formal) the kind of language and grammar used by particular people at a particular time or place
- The friends would sometimes revert to playground idiom.
- [uncountable, countable] (formal) the style of writing, music, art, etc. that is typical of a particular person, group, period or place
- the classical/contemporary/popular idiom
- He has produced a classical play in a modern idiom.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from French idiome, or via late Latin from Greek idiōma ‘private property, peculiar phraseology’, from idiousthai ‘make one's own’, from idios ‘own, private’.
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idiom