also by-word n.

1. 1. A proverbial expression; a proverb.
   2. An often-used word or phrase.
2. One that represents a type, class, or quality: “Polyester got its déclassé reputation in the 1970s after cheap, poorly made double-knit leisure suits became a byword for bad taste” (Fortune).
3. An object of notoriety or interest: The eccentric poet was a byword in literary circles.
4. An epithet.

[Middle English byworde, from Old English bīword, translation of Latin prōverbium.]

noun

A usually pithy and familiar statement expressing an observation or principle generally accepted as wise or true: adage, aphorism, maxim, motto, proverb, saw, saying. See words.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
  Synonyms: proverb, adage, saw

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - indbegreb

Nederlands (Dutch)
spreekwoord, gezegde, schoolvoorbeeld

Français (French)
n. - proverbe, dicton, (GB) synonyme

Deutsch (German)
n. - Sprichwort, Inbegriff

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - παροιμία, ρητό, σύμβολο

Italiano (Italian)
simbolo, proverbio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - sinônimo (m) (fig.)

Русский (Russian)
олицетворение, синоним

Español (Spanish)
n. - proverbio, refrán

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - visa, favorituttryck, öknamn

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
谚语, 笑柄, 格言

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 諺語, 笑柄, 格言

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 웃음거리, 별명, 격언

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ことわざ, 見本, もの笑いの種

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) يضرب به المثل عادة بسخريه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פתגם, שם-דבר, שנינה‬

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