by word of mouth
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Orally. As "he took it down by word of mouth" (as it was spoken by the speaker).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “by word of mouth” mean?
Orally. As "he took it down by word of mouth" (as it was spoken by the speaker).
Is “by word of mouth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.