WORD

word

(noun) a unit of language that native speakers can identify; “words are the blocks from which sentences are made”; “he hardly said ten words all morning”

Bible, Christian Bible, Book, Good Book, Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, Scripture, Word of God, Word

(noun) the sacred writings of the Christian religions; “he went to carry the Word to the heathen”

news, intelligence, tidings, word

(noun) information about recent and important events; “they awaited news of the outcome”

password, watchword, word, parole, countersign

(noun) a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group; “he forgot the password”

word

(noun) a brief statement; “he didn’t say a word about it”

discussion, give-and-take, word

(noun) an exchange of views on some topic; “we had a good discussion”; “we had a word or two about it”

word

(noun) a verbal command for action; “when I give the word, charge!”

parole, word, word of honor

(noun) a promise; “he gave his word”

Son, Word, Logos

(noun) the divine word of God; the second person in the Trinity (incarnate in Jesus)

word

(noun) a string of bits stored in computer memory; “large computers use words up to 64 bits long”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

word (countable and uncountable, plural words)

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

The smallest discrete unit of spoken language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more phonemes and one or more morphemes

The smallest discrete unit of written language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more letters or symbols and one or more morphemes

A discrete, meaningful unit of language approved by an authority or native speaker (compare non-word).

Something like such a unit of language

A sequence of letters, characters, or sounds, considered as a discrete entity, though it does not necessarily belong to a language or have a meaning

(telegraphy) A unit of text equivalent to five characters and one space. [from 19th c.]

(computing) A fixed-size group of bits handled as a unit by a machine and which can be stored in or retrieved from a typical register (so that it has the same size as such a register). [from 20th c.]

(computer science) A finite string that is not a command or operator. [from 20th or 21st c.]

(group theory) A group element, expressed as a product of group elements.

The fact or act of speaking, as opposed to taking action. [from 9th c].

(now, rare outside certain phrases) Something that someone said; a comment, utterance; speech. [from 10th c.]

(obsolete outside certain phrases) A watchword or rallying cry, a verbal signal (even when consisting of multiple words).

(obsolete) A proverb or motto.

News; tidings (used without an article). [from 10th c.]

An order; a request or instruction; an expression of will. [from 10th c.]

A promise; an oath or guarantee. [from 10th c.]

Synonym: promise

A brief discussion or conversation. [from 15th c.]

(in the plural) See words.

(theology, sometimes Word) Communication from God; the message of the Christian gospel; the Bible, Scripture. [from 10th c.]

Synonyms: word of God, Bible

(theology, sometimes Word) Logos, Christ. [from 8th c.]

Synonyms: God, Logos

Usage notes

In English and other languages with a tradition of space-delimited writing, it is customary to treat "word" as referring to any sequence of characters delimited by spaces. However, this is not applicable to languages such as Chinese and Japanese, which are normally written without spaces, or to languages such as Vietnamese, which are written with spaces delimiting syllables.

In computing, the size (length) of a word, while being fixed in a particular machine or processor family design, can be different in different designs, for many reasons. See Word (computer architecture) for a full explanation.

Synonyms

• vocable; see also word

Verb

word (third-person singular simple present words, present participle wording, simple past and past participle worded)

(transitive) To say or write (something) using particular words; to phrase (something).

Synonyms: express, phrase, put into words, state

(transitive, obsolete) To flatter with words, to cajole.

(transitive) To ply or overpower with words.

(transitive, rare) To conjure with a word.

(intransitive, archaic) To speak, to use words; to converse, to discourse.

Interjection

word

(slang, African-American Vernacular) Truth, indeed, that is the truth! The shortened form of the statement "My word is my bond."

(slang, emphatic, stereotypically, African-American Vernacular) An abbreviated form of word up; a statement of the acknowledgment of fact with a hint of nonchalant approval.

Etymology 2

Verb

word

Alternative form of worth (“to become”).

Anagrams

• drow

Etymology 1

Noun

Word (uncountable)

Scripture; The Bible.

The creative word of God; logos.

Etymology 2

Proper noun

Word

(software) Microsoft Word, word processor software developed by Microsoft.

Anagrams

• drow

Source: Wiktionary


Word, n. Etym: [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord, G. wort, Icel. oredh, Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. waĂşrd, OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or perhaps to Gr. "rh`twr an orator. Cf. Verb.]

1. The spoken sign of a conception or an idea; an articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of human speech or language; a constituent part of a sentence; a term; a vocable. "A glutton of words." Piers Plowman. You cram these words into mine ears, against The stomach of my sense. Shak. Amongst men who confound their ideas with words, there must be endless disputes. Locke.

2. Hence, the written or printed character, or combination of characters, expressing such a term; as, the words on a page.

3. pl.

Definition: Talk; discourse; speech; language. Why should calamity be full of words Shak. Be thy words severe; Sharp as he merits, but the sword forbear. Dryden.

4. Account; tidings; message; communication; information; -- used only in the singular. I pray you . . . bring me word thither How the world goes. Shak.

5. Signal; order; command; direction. Give the word through. Shak.

6. Language considered as implying the faith or authority of the person who utters it; statement; affirmation; declaration; promise. Obey thy parents; keep thy word justly. Shak. I know you brave, and take you at your word. Dryden. I desire not the reader should take my word. Dryden.

7. pl.

Definition: Verbal contention; dispute. Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me. Shak.

8. A brief remark or observation; an expression; a phrase, clause, or short sentence. All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Gal. v. 14. She said; but at the happy word "he lives," My father stooped, re- fathered, o'er my wound. Tennyson. There is only one other point on which I offer a word of remark. Dickens. By word of mouth, orally; by actual speaking. Boyle.

– Compound word. See under Compound, a.

– Good word, commendation; favorable account. "And gave the harmless fellow a good word." Pope.

– In a word, briefly; to sum up.

– In word, in declaration; in profession. "Let us not love in word, . . . but in deed and in truth." 1 John iii. 8.

– Nuns of the Word Incarnate (R. C. Ch.), an order of nuns founded in France in 1625, and approved in 1638. The order, which also exists in the United States, was instituted for the purpose of doing honor to the "Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God." -- The word, or The Word. (Theol.) (a) The gospel message; esp., the Scriptures, as a revelation of God. "Bold to speak the word without fear." Phil. i. 14. (b) The second person in the Trinity before his manifestation in time by the incarnation; among those who reject a Trinity of persons, some one or all of the divine attributes personified. John i. 1.

– To eat one's words, to retract what has been said.

– To have the words for, to speak for; to act as spokesman. [Obs.] "Our host hadde the wordes for us all." Chaucer.

– Word blindness (Physiol.), inability to understand printed or written words or symbols, although the person affected may be able to see quite well, speak fluently, and write correctly. Landois & Stirling.

– Word deafness (Physiol.), inability to understand spoken words, though the person affected may hear them and other sounds, and hence is not deaf.

– Word dumbness (Physiol.), inability to express ideas in verbal language, though the power of speech is unimpaired.

– Word for word, in the exact words; verbatim; literally; exactly; as, to repeat anything word for word.

– Word painting, the act of describing an object fully and vividly by words only, so as to present it clearly to the mind, as if in a picture.

– Word picture, an accurate and vivid description, which presents an object clearly to the mind, as if in a picture.

– Word square, a series of words so arranged that they can be read vertically and horizontally with like results.

Syn.

– See Term.

Word, v. i.

Definition: To use words, as in discussion; to argue; to dispute. [R.]

Word, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Worded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wording.]

1. To express in words; to phrase. The apology for the king is the same, but worded with greater deference to that great prince. Addison.

2. To ply with words; also, to cause to be by the use of a word or words. [Obs.] Howell.

3. To flatter with words; to cajole. [Obs.] Shak. To word it, to bandy words; to dispute. [Obs.] "To word it with a shrew." L'Estrange.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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