Definition of "proverbially" [pro•ver•bi•al•ly]

• In a manner that uses proverbs; in proverbs. (adverb)
• In a manner reminiscent of a proverb. (adverb)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "Necessity, proverbially, is the mother of invention, and human responsiveness to necessity has regularly mothered the necessary inventions or brought about the necessary changes of direction."
• "In the rapidity of the Queen's enunciation he had not time to examine whether she had employed this expression proverbially or with a direct reference; but at all events, he decided not to notice it, and was indeed prevented from doing so by the Queen, who continued, looking at Cinq-Mars:"
• "In the rapidity of the Queen's enunciation he had not time to examine whether she had employed this expression proverbially or with a direct reference; but at all events, he decided not to notice it, and was indeed prevented from doing so by the Queen, who continued, looking at"