:a word (such as “singer,” “ocean,” or “car”) that refers to a person, place, or thing but that is not the name of a particular person, place, or thing普通名词 — compare proper noun
: a noun that may occur with limiting modifiers (such as a or an, some, every, and my) and that designates any one of a class of beings or things
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebHis proper name would become a common noun, a contemptible exclamation and novel profanity. Jack Hitt, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019 His landscapes are a litany of primary colors and common nouns: blue sky, green grass. Garth Risk Hallberg, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2017