Word Definition

wûrd
worded, words
noun
words
A speech sound, or series of such sounds, 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.
Webster's New World
A letter or group of letters representing such a unit of language, written or printed usually in solid or hyphenated form.
Webster's New World
A brief expression, statement, remark, etc.
A word of advice.
Webster's New World
A promise, affirmation, or assurance.
To give a person one's word.
Webster's New World
A command, order, or authorization.
Waiting for the word to go ahead.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
verb
worded, words
To express in particular words.
To carefully word a toast.
Webster's New World
interjection
Used to express approval or an affirmative response to something. Sometimes used with up.
American Heritage

(slang, African American Vernacular) Truth, to tell or speak the truth; the shortened form of the statement, "My word is my bond," an expression eventually shortened to "Word is bond," before it finally got cut to just "Word," which is its most commonly used form.

Wiktionary
(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.
Wiktionary
idiom
at a word
  • In immediate response.
American Heritage
good word
  • A favorable comment:

    She put in a good word for me.

  • Favorable news.
American Heritage
have a word with
  • To have a brief conversation with (someone); speak to.
American Heritage
have no words for
  • To be unable to describe or talk about.
American Heritage
in a word
  • In short; in summary:

    In a word, the situation is serious.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Word

Noun

Singular:
word
Plural:
words

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Word

Origin of Word

  • From Middle English word, from Old English word (“word, speech, sentence, statement, command, order, subject of talk, story, news, report, fame, promise, verb"), from Proto-Germanic *wurdÄ… (“word"), from Proto-Indo-European *werdÊ°o- (“word"). Cognate with Scots wird (“word"), West Frisian wurd (“word"), Dutch woord (“word"), German Wort (“word"), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ord (“word"), Icelandic orð (“word"), Latin verbum (“word"), Lithuanian vardas (“name"), Albanian urtë (“sage, wise, silent"). Etymological twin of verb.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old English wer-5 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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