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Definition of proverbial adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

proverbial

adjective
 
/prəˈvɜːbiəl/
 
/prəˈvɜːrbiəl/
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  1. [only before noun] used to show that you are referring to a particular proverb or well-known phrase
    • Let's not count our proverbial chickens.
    • These risks are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
  2. [not usually before noun] well known and talked about by a lot of people synonym famous
    • Their hospitality is proverbial.
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin proverbialis, from proverbium, from pro- ‘(put) forth’ + verbum ‘word’.
See proverbial in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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