word

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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.)

   “But every word, whether written or spoken, which urges the woman to antagonism against the man, every word which is written or spoken to try and make of her a hybrid, self-contained opponent of men, makes a rift in the lute to which the world looks for its sweetest music.”

   “The word, whether written or spoken, does not look like or sound like its meaning — it does not resemble its signified. We only connect the two because we have learnt the code — language. Without such knowledge, 'Maggie' would just be a meaningless pattern of shapes or sounds.”

   “Brian and Abby signed the word clothing, in which the thumbs brush down the chest as though something is hanging there. They both spoke the word clothing. Brian then signed the word for change, […]”

   “Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.”

2. (countable, uncountable)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.)

   “Then all was silent save the voice of the high priest, whose words grew louder and louder, […]”

   “Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.”

   “I can't believe you want me back. You've got Jen to thank for that. Her words the other day moved me deeply. Very deeply indeed. Really? What did she say. Like I remember! Point is it's the effect of her words that's important.”

3. (countable, uncountable)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.)

   “Polonius: What do you read, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words.”

   “The name was a confused gift of love from her father, who could not read the word but picked it out of the Bible for its visual shape, […]”

   “Well-meaning academics even introduced spelling absurdities such as the “s” in the word “island,” a misguided Renaissance attempt to restore the etymology of the [unrelated] Latin word insula.”

4. (countable, uncountable)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.)

   ““Ain’t! How often am I to tell you ain’t ain’t a word?””

   “Fisherwoman isn’t even a word. It’s not in the dictionary.”

5. (countable, uncountable)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.)
6. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:

   “In still another variation, the nonsense word is presented and the teacher asks, "What sound was in the beginning of the word?" "In the middle?" and so on. The child should always respond with the phoneme; he should not use letter labels.”

   “All 15.5 million ‘words’ (or so–the exact length depends on the repeat sequences, which vary greatly) in the twenty-second chapter of the human autobiography have been read and written down in English letters: 47 million As, Cs, Gs and Ts.”

   “I wrote a nonsense word, "umbalooie," in the Input Panel's Writing Pad. Input Panel converted it to "cembalos" and displayed it in the Text Preview pane.”

   “Here the scribe has dropped the με from καθημενος, thereby creating the nonsense word καθηνος.”

   “If M. V. has sustained impairment to a phonological output process common to reading and repetition, we might anticipate that her mispronunciations will partially reflect the underlying phonemic form of the nonsense word.”

7. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:
8. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:

   “The size of a register in the MIPS architecture is 32 bits; groups of 32 bits occur so frequently that they are given the name word in the MIPS architecture.”

9. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:
10. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:
11. (countable, uncountable)Something like such a unit of language:
12. (countable, uncountable)The fact or act of speaking, as opposed to taking action. .

    “[…] she believed them still so very much attached to each other, that they could not be too sedulously divided in word and deed on every occasion.”

    “As they fell apart against Austria, England badly needed someone capable of leading by word and example.”

13. (countable, uncountable)Something that someone said; a comment, utterance; speech.

    “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.”

    “She said; but at the happy word "he lives", / My father stooped, re-fathered, o'er my wound.”

    “There is only one other point on which I offer a word of remark.”

    “"The Kaiser laid down his arms at a quarter to twelve. In me, however, they have an opponent who ceases fighting only at five minutes past twelve," said Hitler some time ago. He has never spoken a truer word.”

    “Despite appearances to the contrary [...] dragomans stuck rigidly to their brief, which was not to translate the Sultan's words, but his word.”

14. (countable, uncountable)A watchword or rallying cry, a verbal signal (even when consisting of multiple words).

    “mum's the word”

    “Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!”

    “I have the word : sentinel, do thou stand; […]”

15. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)A proverb or motto.

    “Among all other was wrytten in her trone / In golde letters, this worde, whiche I dyde rede: / Garder le fortune que est mauelz et bone.”

    “Let the word be 'Not without mustard'. Your crest is very rare, sir.”

    “The old word is, 'What the eye views not, the heart rues not.'”

16. (uncountable)News; tidings.

    “Have you had any word from John yet?”

    “I've tried for weeks to get word, but I still don't know where she is or if she's all right.”

    “[…] Arise and take the young childe, and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and bee thou there vntill I bring thee word: for Herode will seeke the young childe, to destroy him.”

    “Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.”

17. (countable, uncountable)An order; a request or instruction; an expression of will.

    “He sent word that we should strike camp before winter.”

    “Don't fire till I give the word”

    “Their mother's word was law.”

18. (countable, uncountable)A promise; an oath or guarantee.

    “I give you my word that I will be there on time.”

19. (countable, uncountable)A brief discussion or conversation.

    “I managed to murmur some words of consolation as I left the funeral.”

    “Can I have a word with you?”

20. (countable, uncountable)A minor reprimand.

    “I had a word with him about it.”

21. (countable, in-plural, uncountable)See words.

    “There had been words between him and the secretary about the outcome of the meeting.”

22. (countable, uncountable)Communication from God; the message of the Christian gospel; the Bible, Scripture.

    “Her parents had lived in Botswana, spreading the word among the tribespeople.”

23. (countable, uncountable)Logos, Christ.

    “And that worde was made flesshe, and dwelt amonge vs, and we sawe the glory off yt, as the glory off the only begotten sonne off the father, which worde was full of grace, and verite.”

    “And so the Word had breath, and wrought ⁠With human hands the creed of creeds ⁠In loveliness of perfect deeds, More strong than all poetic thought; […]”

verb

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

   “I’m not sure how to word this letter to the council.”

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

   “He words me, girls, he words me, that I should not / be noble to myself.”

3. (transitive)To ply or overpower with words.

   “[…] if one were to be worded to death, Italian is the fittest Language [for that task]”

   “[…] if a man were to be worded to death, or stoned to death by words, the High-Dutch were the fittest [language for that task].”

4. (rare, transitive)To conjure with a word.

   “Against him […] who could word heaven and earth out of nothing, and can when he pleases word them into nothing again.”

   “"Postcolonialism" might well be another linguistic construct, desperately begging for a referent that will never show up, simply because it never existed on its own and was literally worded into existence by the very term that pretends to be born from it.”

   “The being of each person is worded into existence in the Word, […]”

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

   “Thus wording timidly among the fierce: / "O Father, I am here the simplest voice, […]"”

6. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of worth (“to become”).

intj

1. (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.")”

2. (emphatic, slang)An abbreviated form of word up; a statement of the acknowledgment of fact with a hint of nonchalant approval.

   “"[…] Know what I'm sayin'?" / "Word!" the other man strongly agreed. "Let's do this — "”

   “"[…] Not bad at all, man. Worth da wait, dawg. Word." / "You liked it?" I asked dumbly, stoned still, and feeling victorious. / "Yeah, man," said Oral B. "Word up. […]"”

   “"[…] I mean, I don't blame you... Word! […]"”

name

1. Scripture; the Bible.

   “In one of our first meetings, I explained to President Jiang that faith was a vital part of my life and that I studied the Word every day. I told him I planned to raise freedom of worship in our conversations. "I read the Bible," he replied, "but I don’t trust what it says."”

   “Mad Prophet: Repent! Repent and restore your souls to glory before it is too late! This great station has fallen, and all within shall fall with it! Mad Prophet: For the blight that is humanity stains all within its path, and the only chance at redemption lies in the Word!”

2. The creative word of God; Logos.

   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

   “And so the Word had breath, and wrought ⁠With human hands the creed of creeds ⁠In loveliness of perfect deeds, More strong than all poetic thought; […]”

3. Microsoft Word, word processor software developed by Microsoft.

   “You have to type that up in Word.”