motto

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mot=to

CIDE DICTIONARY

motto, n. [It. motto a word, a saying, L. muttum a mutter, a grunt, cf. muttire, mutire, to mutter, mumble; prob. of imitative origin. Cf. Mot a word.].

•  A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievment.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sentence, phrase, or word, prefixed to an essay, discourse, chapter, canto, or the like, suggestive of its subject matter; a short, suggestive expression of a guiding principle; a maxim.  [1913 Webster]

  "It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety and good works, . . . “Serve God, and be cheerful.”"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

motto, n. (pl. -oes)
1 a maxim adopted as a rule of conduct.
2 a phrase or sentence accompanying a coat of arms or crest.
3 a sentence inscribed on some object and expressing an appropriate sentiment.
4 verses etc. in a paper cracker.
5 a quotation prefixed to a book or chapter.
6 Mus. a recurrent phrase having some symbolical significance.

Etymology

It. (as MOT)

THESAURUS

motto

achievement, adage, alerion, ana, analects, animal charge, annulet, aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, axiom, azure, bandeau, banner, banner head, bar, bar sinister, baton, battle cry, bearings, bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, byword, cadency mark, canton, caption, catchword, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, coat of arms, cockatrice, collected sayings, coronet, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, cry, current saying, device, dictate, dictum, difference, differencing, distich, drop head, dropline, eagle, epigram, epigraph, epithet, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, expression, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, gnome, golden saying, griffin, guide, gules, gyron, hanger, hatchment, head, heading, headline, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, inscription, jump head, label, legend, lion, lozenge, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, maxim, metal, moral, mot, mullet, nombril point, octofoil, or, oracle, ordinary, orle, overline, pale, paly, pean, pheon, phrase, pithy saying, precept, prescript, principle, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, purpure, quarter, quartering, rallying cry, rose, rubric, rule, running head, running title, sable, saltire, saw, saying, scarehead, screamer, scutcheon, sentence, sententious expression, shibboleth, shield, slogan, sloka, spread, spread eagle, spreadhead, stock saying, streamer, subhead, subheading, subordinary, subtitle, superscription, sutra, tag line, teaching, tenne, text, tincture, title, title page, torse, tressure, unicorn, vair, verse, vert, war cry, watchword, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, wreath, yale

ROGET THESAURUS

motto

Phrase

N phrase, expression, set phrase, sentence, paragraph, figure of speech, idiom, idiotism, turn of expression, style, paraphrase, periphrase, motto, phraseology, expressed, idiomatic, in round terms, in set terms, in good set terms, set terms, in set phrases.

Maxim

N maxim, aphorism, apothegm, apophthegm, dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb, sentence, mot, motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis, axiom, theorem, scholium, truism, postulate, first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition), reflection, conclusion, golden rule, principle, principia, profession of faith, settled principle, accepted principle, formula, accepted fact, received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim, true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying, aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric, axiomatic, gnomic, as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.