Old Wives' Tale Definition

noun
A silly story or superstitious belief.
Webster's New World

A supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth.

Wiktionary

A rumour, myth or superstition; something which is almost certainly untrue, despite acceptance by many.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Old Wives' Tale

Noun

Singular:
old wives' tale
Plural:
old-wives-tales

Old Wives' Tale Sentence Examples

  • That old expression "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" isn't just an old wives tale.

  • The second experiment was to see whether putting banana skins under cabbage plants made them grow faster as the old wives tale suggests.

  • Any pregnancy old wives tale for bringing on labor that sounds even slightly dangerous should not be attempted by women unless they are under the care of a doctor.

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