Dictionary

idiom en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (UK) audio
• [ˈɪdɪəm]
• [ˈɪɾiəm]
• /ˈɪdiəm/

Etymology

From Middle French idiome, and its source, Late Latin idioma, from Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα (idíōma, “a peculiarity, property, a peculiar phraseology, idiom”), from ἰδιοῦσθαι (idioûsthai, “to make one's own, appropriate to oneself”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private, personal, peculiar, separate”). By surface analysis, idi- + -om.

Meanings

1. A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people.
   • In English, idiom requires the indefinite article in a phrase such as "she's an engineer", whereas in Spanish, idiom forbids it.
   • Some of the usage prescriptions improved clarity and were kept; others that yielded discordant violations of idiom were eventually revised.
2. A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people. ▸ A programming construct or phraseology that is characteristic of the language.
   • I have to use the same assignment and call to raw_input in two places. How can I avoid that? I can use the while True/break idiom: […] 2005, Magnus Lie Hetland, Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional, →ISBN, page 100:
3. A language or language variety; specifically, a restricted dialect used in a given historical period, context, etc.
   • In the idiom of the day, they were sutlers, although today they'd probably be called vendors.
   • Many parents and teachers have become irritated to the point of distraction at the way the weed-style growth of "like" has spread through the idiom of the young. 2010 January 13, Christopher Hitchens, “The Other L-Word”, in Vanity Fair:
4. An established phrasal expression whose meaning may not be deducible from the literal meanings of its component words.
   • You’re history, we say […]. Surely it is an American idiom. Impossible to imagine a postwar European saying, “You’re history. . . . That’s history,” meaning fuhgeddaboudit, pal. 2008, Patricia Hampl, “You’re History”, in Patricia Hampl, Elaine Tyler May, editors, Tell Me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life, Minnesota Historical Society, →ISBN, page 134:
   • She often spoke in idioms, pining for salad days and complaining about pots calling the kettle black.
5. An artistic style (for example, in art, architecture, or music); an instance of such a style.
   • the idiom of the expressionists

Forms

Deriveds

bromidiom · idiomless · idiomacy · idiom blend · idiomatically · idiomatic · idiomatical · idiomaticize

Relateds

phrasal verb · idiolect · idiosyncratic · idiot

Synonyms

phrase · idiomaticity · vernacular (language variety) · idiomaticity · idiomaticness · lect (language variety) · idiomaticness · locution · dialect (language variety) · idiotism · form of words · languoid (language variety) · language (language variety) · expression

Translations (189)

ckb زاراوە (idiomatic expression) · mn хэлц үг (idiomatic expression) · ru идио́ма (manner of speaking) · es dicción (manner of speaking) · de Ausdruck (instance of such style) · ur اِصْطِلاح (idiomatic expression) · fi käsiala (distinct style of art, etc) · pl narzecze (language variety) · de Ausdrucksweise (distinct style of art, etc) · ps اصطلاح (idiomatic expression) · de Redensart (idiomatic expression) · ru сре́дство выраже́ния (distinct style of art, etc) · da talemåde (manner of speaking) · it idioma (manner of speaking) · ko 어법 (language variety) · uz istiloh (idiomatic expression) · id idiom (language variety) · fi kädenjälki (instance of such style) · ca frase feta (idiomatic expression) · az idiom (idiomatic expression) · ko 양식 (distinct style of art, etc) · hu szólásmód (manner of speaking) · da idiom (idiomatic expression) · lo ສຳນວນ (idiomatic expression) · ja 慣用語 (idiomatic expression) · tl kawikaan (idiomatic expression) · ug ئىدىئوم (idiomatic expression) · mk идио́м (idiomatic expression) · bg идио́м (idiomatic expression) · de Sprache (language variety) · ka იდიომი (idiomatic expression) · sl idiom (idiomatic expression) · ru идио́ма (idiomatic expression) · gd gnàthas-cainnt (manner of speaking) · ru усто́йчивое выраже́ние (idiomatic expression) · ga cor cainte (manner of speaking) · fr idiome (language variety) · fr idiome (manner of speaking) · hi मुहावरा (idiomatic expression) · de Dialekt (manner of speaking) · it vernacolo (language variety) · az idioma (idiomatic expression) · et idioom (idiomatic expression) · hu nyelvváltozat (language variety) · es lenguaje (manner of speaking) · fi kielimuunnos (language variety) · cmn 習慣用語 /习惯用语 (idiomatic expression) · kmr îdyom (idiomatic expression) · ru диале́кт (language variety) · tr deyim (idiomatic expression) · fi idiomi (idiomatic expression) · ja 様式 (distinct style of art, etc) · de Redeweise (manner of speaking) · de Stil (distinct style of art, etc) · fi puhetapa (manner of speaking) · hu kifejezésmód (manner of speaking) · pt idioma (idiomatic expression) · fa-ira اِصْطِلاح (idiomatic expression) · wa ratourneure (idiomatic expression) · id idiom (idiomatic expression) · be ідыёма (idiomatic expression) · sh idìōm (language variety) · pl idiom (idiomatic expression) · hy դարձված (idiomatic expression) · ko 관용어 (idiomatic expression) · nb idiom (idiomatic expression) · nl taaleigen (idiomatic expression) · gd gnàthas-cainnt (idiomatic expression) · hu fordulat (idiomatic expression) · ru наре́чие (language variety) · mr वाक्प्रचार (idiomatic expression) · cmn 文風 /文风 (manner of speaking) · mi kīwaha (manner of speaking) · ca parla (manner of speaking) · pt expressão idiomática (idiomatic expression) · hu idióma (language variety) · es idiotismo (idiomatic expression) · he נִיב (language variety) · ta மரபுத்தொடர் (idiomatic expression) · es modismo (idiomatic expression) · ca idioma (language variety) · it espressione idiomatica (idiomatic expression) · cy idiom (idiomatic expression) · it dialetto (language variety) · uk ідіо́ма (idiomatic expression) · fi idiomi (manner of speaking) · ja 成句 (idiomatic expression) · bg и́зразни сре́дства (distinct style of art, etc) · de Mundart (manner of speaking) · eo idiotismo (idiomatic expression) · km បានតែបង្ហាញ (idiomatic expression) · vi thổ ngữ (language variety) · tg идиома (idiomatic expression) · cs idiom (idiomatic expression) · ang ġecyndesprǣċ (idiomatic expression) · pl mowa (language variety) · uz idioma (idiomatic expression) · ar اِصْطِلَاح (idiomatic expression) · wa cåzaedje (manner of speaking) · th สำนวน (idiomatic expression) · mi kīrehu (idiomatic expression) · nl idioom (idiomatic expression) · ca parlar (manner of speaking) · my အီဒီယမ် (idiomatic expression) · it parlata (manner of speaking) · he מַטְבֵּעַ לָשׁוֹן (idiomatic expression) · es idiomatismo (idiomatic expression) · ru оборо́т ре́чи (manner of speaking) · ka იდიომატური გამოთქმა (idiomatic expression) · ja 訛り (language variety) · tg истилоҳ (idiomatic expression) · ru го́вор (language variety) · it idiomatismo (idiomatic expression) · el ιδίωμα (idiomatic expression) · es idioma (language variety) · ca llengua (language variety) · ro idiom (idiomatic expression) · sv idiom (idiomatic expression) · vi thành ngữ (idiomatic expression) · ca idiotisme (idiomatic expression) · de Idiom (idiomatic expression) · ur مُحاوَرَہ (idiomatic expression) · de Idiom (manner of speaking) · ru идио́м (language variety) · ca dialecte (manner of speaking) · cmn 俗語 /俗语 (idiomatic expression) · cmn 成語 /成语 (idiomatic expression) · fr idiome (idiomatic expression) · yue 成語 /成语 (idiomatic expression) · ky идиома (idiomatic expression) · de Ausdrucksweise (language variety) · lt idioma (idiomatic expression) · hu beszédfordulat (idiomatic expression) · prs اِصْطِلَاح (idiomatic expression) · wa djårgon (language variety) · de Vertreter (instance of such style) · lv idioma (idiomatic expression) · az deyim (idiomatic expression) · kk идиома (idiomatic expression) · sv idiomatiskt uttryck (idiomatic expression) · cmn 方言 (language variety) · kmr biwêj (idiomatic expression) · sh идѝо̄м (idiomatic expression) · he נִיב (idiomatic expression) · te జాతీయము (idiomatic expression) · hu idióma (manner of speaking) · pam panasbuc (Baculud) (idiomatic expression) · de Ausdrucksweise (idiomatic expression) · hu idióma (idiomatic expression) · ang āgensprǣċ (idiomatic expression) · de Redewendung (idiomatic expression) · io idiotismo (idiomatic expression) · ko 숙어 (idiomatic expression) · sk idióm (idiomatic expression) · wa pårler (manner of speaking) · sh идѝо̄м (language variety) · wa pårler (language variety) · is orðatiltæki (idiomatic expression) · fr idiotisme (idiomatic expression) · sk idióm (language variety) · it locuzione (idiomatic expression) · ms loghat (language variety) · hu kifejezés (idiomatic expression) · ms simpulan bahasa (idiomatic expression) · ja 方言 (language variety) · gv corghlare (idiomatic expression) · ota لغت (language variety) · de idiomatischer Ausdruck (idiomatic expression) · ko 언어 (language variety) · ja 慣用句 (idiomatic expression) · sh idìōm (idiomatic expression) · ru фразеологи́зм (idiomatic expression) · ar مُصْطَلَح (idiomatic expression) · uk стійки́й зворо́т (idiomatic expression) · cmn 習語 /习语 (idiomatic expression) · ko 관용구 (idiomatic expression) · ru идиомати́ческий оборо́т (idiomatic expression) · pam panasbuk (Wawa) (idiomatic expression) · hu állandósult szókapcsolat (idiomatic expression) · sq idiomë (idiomatic expression) · ru идиомати́ческое выраже́ние (idiomatic expression) · fi puheenparsi (manner of speaking) · it idiotismo (idiomatic expression) · fi sanonta (idiomatic expression) · bn বাগধারা (idiomatic expression) · de Sprechweise (manner of speaking) · ja 熟語 (idiomatic expression) · wa patwès (language variety) · de Idiom (language variety)