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word of mouth — the passing of information from person to person by oral communication

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: the passing of information from person to person by oral communication

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌwɜːrd əv ˈmaʊθ/

Example Sentences

  • The movie became a hit purely through word of mouth - no fancy advertising needed!
  • My grandmother's secret recipe spread by word of mouth, and now half the neighborhood makes her famous cookies.
  • Word of mouth is still the most trusted form of advertising.

word of mouth

NOUN

[/ˌwɜːrd əv ˈmaʊθ/]

the passing of information from person to person by oral communication

the passing of information from person to person by oral communication
💡 Concept

the passing of information from person to person by oral communication

From mouth to south, wisdom flows to eager youth!
🎵 Rhyme

From mouth to south, wisdom flows to eager youth!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌwɜːrd əv ˈmaʊθ/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌwɜːd əv ˈmaʊθ/

🌳Etymology

Origin

This phrase combines 'word' (from Old English 'word', meaning speech or utterance) and 'mouth' (from Old English 'muð', the organ of speech) to create a compound expression. It originated from the literal concept of speech passing directly from one person's mouth to another's ear, eventually referring to informal verbal communication or rumor.

Breakdown

word (speech or utterance) + of (preposition indicating possession/source) + mouth (organ of speech) = speech emanating directly from the mouth, representing unmediated verbal transmission between people.

🎵Rhyme

mouth
south
youth

🔗Collocations

spread by word of mouth
word of mouth marketing
rely on word of mouth
powerful word of mouth
generate word of mouth

📝Examples

“The movie became a hit purely through word of mouth - no fancy advertising needed!”

😄 Fun example

“My grandmother's secret recipe spread by word of mouth, and now half the neighborhood makes her famous cookies.”

“Word of mouth is still the most trusted form of advertising.”

😄 Fun example

“The new pizza place got so busy from word of mouth that they ran out of cheese!”

📚Related Words

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