A phrase expressing a basic truth which may be applied to common situations.
"Grandma shared a local proverb about saving water during droughts that perfectly captured our family's reality."
To write or utter proverbs.
"She spent her entire lunch break telling old proverbs to the children at the playground."
The word comes from the Old French proverbe, which was borrowed from the Latin proverbium. Its original meaning referred to a saying or maxim that expresses a general truth.