bromide
UK /ˈbɹəʊ.maɪd/ · US /ˈbɹoʊ.maɪd/ noun
Forms bromides
- noun (inorganic chemistry) A binary compound of bromine and some other element or radical.
- noun (inorganic chemistry) Any salt of hydrobromic acid.
- noun (inorganic chemistry) The anionic form of a bromine atom.
- noun A dull person with conventional thoughts. “My adviser at college was a bromide who had not had an original thought in years.”
- noun A platitude. “We hoped the speech would include reassurances, but instead it was merely one bromide after another.”
- noun (dated) A dose of bromide taken as a sedative, or to reduce sexual appetite.
- noun (photography) A print made on bromide paper.
Synonyms
platitude byword saying adage saw proverb maxim apothegm apophthegm dictum gnome gnomic saying mantra paroemia cliche banality commonplace
Antonyms
Etymology
From brom- + -ide. First used in the sense “dull person” by American artist, art critic, poet, author and humorist Gelett Burgess.
Figurative sense ("platitude") by extending the medicating sense through the metaphor of pacifying or placating.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bromide”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details