shibboleth
noun
shib·bo·leth
ˈshi-bə-ləth
also -ˌleth
1
a
: a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning
the old shibboleths come rolling off their lips—Joseph Epstein
b
: a widely held belief
today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth—L. A. Wood
2
a
: a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group
accent was … a shibboleth of social class—Vivian Ducat
b
: a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others
for most of the well-to-do in the town, dinner was a shibboleth, its hour dividing mankind—Osbert Sitwell
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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