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Meaning of MOTTO

Pronunciation:  'mâtow

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: [n]  a favorite saying of a sect or political group
 
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 Synonyms: catchword, shibboleth, slogan
 
 See Also: battle cry, catch phrase, catchphrase, cry, expression, locution, rallying cry, saying, war cry

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
\Mot"to\, n.; pl. {Mottoes}. [It. motto a word, a saying,
L. muttum a mutter, a grunt, cf. muttire, mutire, to mutter,
mumble; prob. of imitative origin. Cf. {Mot} a word.]
1. (Her.) A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an
   heraldic achievment.
2. A sentence, phrase, or word, prefixed to an essay,
   discourse, chapter, canto, or the like, suggestive of its
   subject matter; a short, suggestive expression of a
   guiding principle; a maxim.
         It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety
         and good works, . . . ``Serve God, and be
         cheerful.''                           --Addison.
 
Thesaurus Terms
 
 Related Terms: achievement, adage, alerion, ana, analects, animal charge, annulet, aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, axiom, azure, bandeau, banner, banner head, bar, bar sinister, baton, battle cry, bearings, bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, byword, cadency mark, canton, caption, catchword, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, coat of arms, cockatrice, collected sayings, coronet, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, cry, current saying, device, dictate, dictum, difference, differencing, distich, drop head, dropline, eagle, epigram, epigraph, epithet, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, expression, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, gnome, golden saying, griffin, guide, gules, gyron, hanger, hatchment, head, heading, headline, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, inscription, jump head, label, legend, lion, lozenge, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, maxim, metal, moral, mot, mullet, nombril point, octofoil, or, oracle, ordinary, orle, overline, pale, paly, pean, pheon, phrase, pithy saying, precept, prescript, principle, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, purpure, quarter, quartering, rallying cry, rose, rubric, rule, running head, running title, sable, saltire, saw, saying, scarehead, screamer, scutcheon, sentence, sententious expression, shibboleth, shield, slogan, sloka, spread, spread eagle, spreadhead, stock saying, streamer, subhead, subheading, subordinary, subtitle, superscription, sutra, tag line, teaching, tenne, text, tincture, title, title page, torse, tressure, unicorn, vair, verse, vert, war cry, watchword, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, wreath, yale
 

 

 

 

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