Today's Word "bromide"
Commonplace or conventional saying
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Published in Vocabulary
bromide \BROH-myd\ (noun) - 1 : A compound of bromine and another element or a positive organic radical. 2 : A dose of potassium bromide taken as a sedative. 3 : A dull person with conventional thoughts. 4 : A commonplace or conventional saying.
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. The words are in fact already a bromide when the pompous Malvolio finds and reads them." -- Marjorie Garber, 'Symptoms of Culture'
Bromide was formed from the first element of English bromine and the suffix -ide; the pair of bromine/bromide parallel chlorine/chloride. Bromine itself comes from French brome, from Greek bromos, "bad smell." The adjective form is bromidic.
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