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1. Dictionary

   Word

   /wərd/

   

   noun

   • 1. a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed: "I don't like the word “unofficial”" Similar termnameexpressiondesignationlocutionturn of phraseidiomformal:appellationrare:vocable
   • ▪ a single distinct conceptual unit of language, comprising inflected and variant forms.
   • ▪ something spoken or written; a remark or statement: "his grandfather's words had been meant kindly" Similar remarkcommentstatementutteranceobservationpronouncementdeclaration
   • ▪ even the smallest amount of something spoken or written: "don't believe a word of it"
   • ▪ angry talk: "her father would have had words with her about that"
   • ▪ speech as distinct from action: "he conforms in word and deed to the values of a society that he rejects"
   • 2. a command, password, or signal: "someone gave me the word to start playing" Similar instructionordercommandsignalpromptcuetip-offinformal:go-aheadthumbs upgreen lighthigh signcommandorderdecreeedictmandatebiddingwill
   • ▪ communication; news: "I was afraid to leave Edinburgh in case there was word from the War Office" Similar newsinformationcommunicationintelligencenoticemessagereportcommuniquédispatchbulletinaccountdatafactsinformal:infothe lowdownthe genthe dopethe poopliterary:tidingsarchaic:advicesrumorhearsaytalkgossipinformal:the grapevinethe word on the streetthe scuttlebutt
   • 3. one's account of the truth, especially when it differs from that of another person: "in court it would have been his word against mine"
   • ▪ a promise or assurance: "everything will be taken care of—you have my word" Similar promiseword of honorassuranceguaranteeundertakingpledgevowoathbondarchaic:trothparole
   • 4. the text or spoken part of a play, opera, or other performed piece; a script: "he had to learn his words" Similar scripttextlyricslibretto
   • 5. a basic unit of data in a computer, typically 16 or 32 bits long.

   verb

   • 1. choose and use particular words in order to say or write (something): "he words his request in a particularly ironic way"

   exclamation

   • 1. used to express agreement: informal "“That Jay is one dangerous character.” “Word.”"

   Word Origin Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch woord and German Wort, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin verbum ‘word’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. wordage noun

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • W

     4

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

   • D

     2

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2. www.wordorigins.orgWordorigins.org

   www.wordorigins.org

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   4 days ago · Wordorigins.org focuses on word and phrase origins and the history of the English language, but from time to time expands into discussions about language in general. The site primarily deals with English and those languages that have influenced the development of the English language.*

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › etymologyEtymology Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › etymology

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   The meaning of ETYMOLOGY is the history of a linguistic form (such as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing ...

4. www.etymonline.com › word › wordword | Etymology of word by etymonline

   www.etymonline.com › word › word

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   Aug 4, 2022 · word. (n.) Old English word "speech, talk, utterance, sentence, statement, news, report, word," from Proto-Germanic *wurda- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian word, Dutch woord, Old High German, German wort, Old Norse orð, Gothic waurd ), from PIE *were- (3) "speak, say" (see verb ). The meaning "promise" was in Old English, as was the ...

5. www.oxfordreference.com › abstract › 10Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins - Oxford Reference

   www.oxfordreference.com › abstract › 10

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   Combining both accessibility and authority, The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins describes the origins and development of over 3,000 words and phrases in the English language.

6. www.etymonline.com › word › etymologyetymology | Etymology of etymology by etymonline

   www.etymonline.com › word › etymology

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   Apr 27, 2024 · etymology (n.) etymology. (n.) late 14c., ethimolegia "facts of the origin and development of a word," from Old French etimologie, ethimologie (14c., Modern French étymologie ), from Latin etymologia, from Greek etymologia "analysis of a word to find its true origin," properly "study of the true sense (of a word)," with -logia "study of, a ...

7. www.thoughtco.com › etymology-word-stories-1692654The Etymology of Words and Their Histories - ThoughtCo

   www.thoughtco.com › etymology-word-stories-1692654

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   Jul 3, 2019 · The etymology of a word refers to its origin and historical development: that is, its earliest known use, its transmission from one language to another, and its changes in form and meaning. Etymology is also the term for the branch of linguistics that studies word histories. What's the Difference Between a Definition and an Etymology?

8. membean.com › rootcasts › etymologyRootcast: Etymology: Word Origins | Membean

   membean.com › rootcasts › etymology

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   etymology. Quick Summary. Etymology is that part of linguistics that studies word origins. English vocabulary words are formed from many different sources, especially Latin and Greek. By determining the origins of the morphemes in English words, one is better able to remember and determine the dictionary definitions of words.