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bon mot
noun
plural bons mots
bÅ?â?¿-ˈmÅ?
bÅ?â?¿-ˈmÅ?z
bÅ?â?¿-ˈmÅ?z
ËŒbän-ˈmÅ?z
or bon mots
bÅ?â?¿-ˈmÅ? ËŒbän-ˈmÅ?z
: a clever remark : witticism
his bons mots were being repeated … from coast to coast—
W. J. Fisher
Examples of bon mot in a Sentence
She had a sparkling bon mot for every occasion.
Recent Examples on the Web
For many of us who had savored Smith’s priceless delivery of the driest witticisms and most delicious bon mots for years, the wider 21st century discovery of her formidable screen persona via those characters brought satisfaction that the youngsters had finally caught up.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024
It is derived from the more familiar bon mot: a topologist is someone who doesn’t know the difference between a coffee cup and a doughnut.
—
The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
The character never has to search long for a bon mot.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023
Only Matt Smith’s Daemon and maybe Eve Best’s Princess Rhaenys (at least in the season’s penultimate episode) seem capable of getting the joke or dropping a bon mot.
—
Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
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Word History
Etymology
French, literally, good word
First Known Use
1713, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to bon mot
Dictionary Entries Near bon mot
Cite this Entry
“Bon mot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20mot. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
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