Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Aphorism \Aph"o*rism\, n. [F. aphorisme, fr. Gr. ? definition, a
   short, pithy sentence, fr. ? to mark off by boundaries, to
   define; ? from + ? to separate, part. See {Horizon}.]
   A comprehensive maxim or principle expressed in a few words;
   a sharply defined sentence relating to abstract truth rather
   than to practical matters.

         The first aphorism of Hippocrates is, ``Life is short,
         and the art is long.''                   --Fleming.

   Syn: Axiom; maxim; adage; proverb; apothegm; saying; saw;
        truism; dictum. See {Axiom}.

Source : WordNet®

aphorism
     n : a short pithy instructive saying [syn: {apothegm}, {apophthegm}]