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# proverb

«proverb» in Mova's school dictionary: **a short, well-known saying that gives advice or states a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a proverb, proverbs; Proverbs — Bible)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A proverb is a short, well-known saying that gives advice or states a truth about life, like "Look before you leap". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#m1)

2) (Bible) Proverbs is a book of the Old Testament full of wise sayings, many linked with King Solomon. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In English lessons pupils learn proverbs and explain what they mean, because their meaning is not literal. In everyday life, grandparents and teachers use proverbs to give advice. In church, readings from the book of Proverbs teach about wisdom, honesty and hard work. Phrases: "as the proverb says", "an old proverb", "the Book of Proverbs".

### examples

- "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" is a proverb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x1)
- My nan has a proverb for everything. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x2)
- "Many hands make light work" means that a job is easier when people help. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x3)
- We wrote our own proverbs in class. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x4)
- (Bible) The book of Proverbs says that a gentle answer turns away anger. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x5)
- Every language has its own proverbs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x6)
- The proverb "Actions speak louder than words" means what you do matters more than what you say. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x7)
- Remember the old proverb which says: ‘Bad wheat always makes poor bread!’” [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/#x8)

### note

Countable: a proverb, proverbs. Adjective: proverbial ("the proverbial needle in a haystack" means "as in the saying"). A proverb is different from an idiom: a proverb is a complete sentence with advice, an idiom is a phrase with a special meaning ("under the weather"). The Bible book is "Proverbs" with a capital P.

### In the corpora

- [Proverbs 28:13: "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy."](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/82-trust-that-breaks-and-takes-long-to-mend/14/)
- ["Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given" (Proverbs 25:14).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits/7/)
- ["Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/6/)
- ["Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel" (Proverbs 20:17).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/92-cheating-at-school-copying-and-peeking/6/)
- ["Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent: the Lord detests them both" (Proverbs 17:15).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/99-olympiad-dilemmas-friends-truth-and-telling/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «proverb» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/proverb/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.