Cicerone
noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A guide who accompanies visitors and sightseers to museums, galleries, etc., and explains matters of archaeological, antiquarian, historic or artistic interest.
"East, still doing the cicerone, pointed out all the remarkable characters to Tom as they passed[…]"
- 2 a guide who conducts and informs sightseers wordnet
- 1 To show (somebody) the sights, acting as a tourist guide. ambitransitive, archaic
"Accordingly, as three o'clock struck, six dashing-looking light dragoons were seen slowly sauntering up the dining-hall, escorted by Webber, who, in full academic costume, was leisurely ciceroning his friends and expatiating upon the excellences of the very remarkable portraits which graced the walls."
Example
More examples"It is not undeservedly that the Pyrenean guides have acquired the reputation they enjoy for intelligence and civility; and Charlet, of the Hôtel de France, is certainly a most favourable specimen: frugal in his habits, modest in his demeanour, and of great activity of body, he forms the beau ideal of a mountain cicerone."
Etymology
1726, from Italian cicerone (surface analysis cicero + -one (augmentative)), from Latin Cicerōnem, form of Cicerō, agnomen of Marcus Tullius Cicero), the Roman orator, from cicer (“chickpea”) from Proto-Indo-European *ḱiker- (“pea”). Possibly humorous reference to loquaciousness of guides.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.