HOW TO PRONOUNCE
gnome
/noʊm/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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Start directly with “n.”
The written g is silent here. Use one syllable with the long o heard in home, then close the lips for m without adding another vowel.
1 syllable
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“A stone gnome stood beside the flowers.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does gnome mean?
noun
- An elemental (spirit or corporeal creature associated with a classical element) associated with earth.
- One of a race of imaginary human-like beings, usually depicted as short and typically bearded males, who inhabit the inner parts of the earth and act as guardians of mines, mineral treasure, etc.; in modern fantasy literature and games, when distinguished from dwarves, gnomes are usually smaller than dwarves and more focused on engineering than mining.
- The mountain pygmy owl, Glaucidium gnoma, a small owl of the western United States.
More meanings (7)
noun
- A small statue of a dwarf-like character, often bearded, placed in a garden.
- An upper atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with thunderstorms, a compact blue starter.
- A brief reflection or maxim; a pithy saying.
- (derogatory, informal) A person of a small stature or misshapen features, or of a strange appearance.
- (derogatory) A banker, especially a secretive international one.
verb
- (slang) To unintentionally boot a GNOME desktop environment.
proper noun
- An open-source, free software computer desktop environment for Unix operating systems.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/noʊm/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
He looked so queer and so like a gray-whiskered dwarf or gnome that Sara was rather fascinated.
Machines carrying the Gnome engine as power unit took the great bulk of the prizes, and British-built engines were far behind.
More book examples (3)
This craft is fitted with an 80-horse-power Gnome engine, and is probably the fastest passenger-carrying biplane of its type in the world.
Thus far foreign manufacturers are ahead of Americans in the production of light-weight aerial motors, as is evidenced by the Gnome and Farcot engines, both of which are of French make.
In the case of a Gnome engine, such gyroscopic action will tend to depress the nose of the aeroplane when it is turned to the left, and to elevate it when it is turned to the right.