word
UK /wɜːd/ · US /wɜɹd/ noun, verb, interjection, proper noun
Also a form of worth
Forms words wording worded the Word wurd worde
- noun (semantics) 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.)
- noun The smallest discrete unit of spoken language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more phonemes and one or more morphemes.
- noun The smallest discrete unit of written language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more letters or symbols and one or more morphemes.
- noun A discrete, meaningful unit of language approved by an authority or native speaker (compare non-word).
- noun A sign used in a sign language.
- noun 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.
- noun (telegraphy) A unit of text equivalent to five characters and one space.
- noun (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).
- verb (transitive) To say or write (something) using particular words; to phrase (something). “strongly worded letter”
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To flatter with words, to cajole.
- verb (transitive) To ply or overpower with words.
- verb (transitive, rare) To conjure with a word.
- verb (intransitive, archaic) To speak, to use words; to converse, to discourse.
- interjection (African-American Vernacular, slang) Truth, indeed, that is the truth! The shortened form of the statement “My word is my bond.” “"Yo, that movie was epic!" / "Word?" ("You speak the truth?") / "Word." ("I speak the truth.")”
- interjection (slang, emphatic, African-American Vernacular) An abbreviated form of word up; a statement of the acknowledgment of fact with a hint of nonchalant approval.
- proper noun Scripture; the Bible.
- proper noun The creative word of God; Logos.
- proper noun (software) Microsoft Word, word processor software developed by Microsoft. “You have to type that up in Word.”
Synonyms
promise word of God Bible God Logos vocable lexeme express phrase put into words state blandish butter up inveigle blandander cajole sweeten fast-talk canoodle carny news intelligence tidings discussion give-and-take parole word of honor Son password watchword
Etymology
From Middle English word, from Old English word, from Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurdą (“word”), from Proto-Indo-European *werdʰom (“word”), from *werh₁- (“to say, speak”). Doublet of verb, verve, and vort; further related to vrata.
Cognate with Scots wird (“word”), North Frisian uurd, Uurt, wurd, wårde, wür (“word”), Saterland Frisian Woud, Wud (“word”), West Frisian wurd (“word”), Alemannic German wort, wourd, wuart, wòrt, wört (“word”), Bavarian boart, bort, bört, Wurt (“word”), Cimbrian bóart, bort (“word”), Dutch woord (“word”), German Wort (“word”), German Low German Woord, Woort (“word”), Limburgish waord, Woërt (“word”), Luxembourgish Wuert (“word”), Mòcheno bourt (“word”), Vilamovian wiüt, wuyt (“word”), Yiddish וואָרט (vort, “word”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish ord (“word”), Elfdalian uord (“word”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Scanian orð (“word”), Gutnish ård (“word”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳 (waurd, “word”); also Ancient Greek ῥητός (rhētós, “spoken, stipulated”); also Latin verbum (“word”), Umbrian 𐌖𐌄𐌓𐌚𐌀𐌋𐌄 (uerfale, “temple”), Ancient Greek εἴρω (eírō, “to say, speak, tell”), Latgalian vuords (“name; word”), Latvian vārds (“name; word”), Lithuanian var̃das (“name”), Russian врать (vratʹ, “to lie”), Serbo-Croatian ва̏рати, vȁrati (“to cheat, deceive, trick, swindle; to be mistaken”), Armenian հորջորջել (horǰorǰel, “to call, name”), Ashkun vīri (“word”), Kamkata-viri vëri, viri (“word”), Prasuni veri, verī, vëre, vëri (“word”), Sanskrit व्रत (vrata, “command; law; will”).
Variant of worth (“to become, turn into, grow, get”), from Middle English worthen, from Old English weorþan (“to turn into, become, grow”), from Proto-West Germanic *werþan, from Proto-Germanic *werþaną (“to turn, turn into, become”). More at worth § Verb.
Semantic loan from Koine Greek λόγος (lógos).
Ellipsis of Microsoft Word; from word.
Webster’s 1913
- noun 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.
- noun Hence, the written or printed character, or combination of characters, expressing such a term; as, the words on a page.
- verb To use words, as in discussion; to argue; to dispute. [R.]
- verb To express in words; to phrase.
Etymology [AS. word; akin to OFries. & OS. word, D. woord, G. wort, Icel. oredh, Sw. & Dan. ord, Goth. waúrd, OPruss. wirds, Lith. vardas a name, L. verbum a word; or perhaps to Gr. "rh`twr an orator. Cf. Verb.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “word”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details