~ 1 [ nəʊm ]
■ noun
1》 a legendary dwarfish creature supposed to guard the earth's treasures underground.
2》 a small garden ornament in the form of a bearded man with a pointed hat.
3》 informal a person having secret or sinister influence in financial matters: the ~s of Zurich.
Derivatives
gnomish adjective
Origin
C17: from Fr., from mod. L. gnomus , a word used by the 16th-cent. Swiss physician Paracelsus as a synonym of Pygmaeus (see pygmy ).
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~ 2 [ nəʊm , 'nəʊmi ]
■ noun a short statement encapsulating a general truth; a maxim.
Origin
C16: from Gk gnōmē 'thought, opinion'.