noun

1. 1. a speech sound, or series of them, serving to communicate meaning and consisting of at least one base morpheme with or without prefixes or suffixes; unit of language between the morpheme and the sentence
   2. a letter or group of letters representing such a unit of language, written or printed usually in solid or hyphenated form
2. a brief expression, statement, remark, etc. a word of advice
3. a promise, affirmation, or assurance to give a person one's word
4. news; information; tidings no word from home; what's the good word?
5. 1. a password or signal
   2. a command, order, or authorization waiting for the word to go ahead
6. 1. talk; speech
   2. the lyrics, text, libretto, etc. of a musical composition that is sung
7. a quarrel; dispute; argument
8. Archaic a saying; proverb
9. Comput. a basic unit of storage in a memory, consisting of a certain number of bits

Etymology: ME < OE, akin to Ger wort < IE *werdh- (extension of base *wer-, to speak, say) > Gr eirein, to speak, L verbum, word

transitive verb