proverbial
adjective /prəˈvɜːbiəl/
/prəˈvɜːrbiəl/
- [only before noun] used to show that you are referring to a particular proverb or well-known phrase
- Let's not count our proverbial chickens.
- He drinks like the proverbial fish.
- [not usually before noun] well known and talked about by a lot of people synonym famous
- Their hospitality is proverbial.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin proverbialis, from proverbium, from pro- ‘(put) forth’ + verbum ‘word’.