gnome¹ (nōm)
n.

1. One of a fabled race of dwarflike creatures who live underground and guard treasure hoards.
2. In the occult philosophy of Paracelsus, a being that has earth as its element.

[French, from New Latin gnomus.]

gnomish gnom'ish adj.

gnome² (nōm)
n.
A pithy saying that expresses a general truth or fundamental principle; an aphorism.

[Greek gnōmē, from gignōskein, to know.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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