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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.etymonline.comEtymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary

   www.etymonline.com

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   Learn the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms from this comprehensive and reliable source. Explore the map of the wheel-ruts of modern English and the sources used in this compilation.

   • Word Origin Stories

     Now's a good time to hunt the "uncertain origin" words with...

   • Snakes of Iceland

     A Word or Two. Chile con Frontation. April 17, 2024 at 10:07...

   • Form

     late 14c., name for the god of dreams in Ovid, son of Sleep,...

     Français (French)

     · Form 뜻

     · Deform

     · Formative

     · Formalism

     · Format

   • Search and Research

     By the 1940s people are questioning the origin. There...

   • Homing in on Harlequin

     However, the earliest depictions of Harlequin show him as a...

   • Mandrake Roots

     And on yet another, the word flows through the tongue of the...

   • Sources

     A Word or Two. Chile con Frontation. April 17, 2024 at 10:07...

   • The Paragraph

     The Northern group "was split up into many vernaculars by...

   • Hagiolatry

     a fruit of various plants of the genus Rubus, 1620s, earlier...

     Português (Portuguese)

     · 한국어 (Korean)

     · Italiano (Italian)

   • QUEAN

     The most ancient Germanic sense of the word seems to have...

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

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › etymology

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   Learn the origin and history of words from the study of etymology, a branch of linguistics. Find examples, related phrases, and contrast with entomology.

4. Videos

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5. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › EtymologyEtymology - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Etymology

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   Etymology (/ ˌ ɛ t ɪ ˈ m ɒ l ə dʒ i /, ET-im-OL-ə-jee) is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.

6. www.wordorigins.orgWordorigins.org

   www.wordorigins.org

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   6 days ago · Learn about the origin and history of English words and phrases from various sources and contexts. Explore the Big List, the Harmless Drudge blog, and the Discussion Forums on Wordorigins.org.

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

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   3 days ago · Learn the origins and development of over 3,000 words and phrases in the English language from a trusted source. Explore the fascinating stories behind many of our most curious terms and expressions, from 'handsome' to 'torpedo', and more.

8. www.britannica.com › topic › etymologyEtymology | Word Origins, Language History, Semantics

   www.britannica.com › topic › etymology

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   Learn about the history and methods of etymology, the study of word origins and derivation. Explore how linguists use historical and comparative linguistics to reconstruct and classify languages and their changes over time.

9. People also ask

   What is the origin of the word 'word'?

   • 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 ).

   word | Etymology, origin and meaning of word by etymonline

   www.etymonline.com/word/word

   See all results for this question

   What is the meaning of the word "origin"?

   • Some common synonyms of origin are inception, root, and source. While all these words mean "the point at which something begins its course or existence," origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

   72 Synonyms & Antonyms of ORIGIN - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origin

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   What is the Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins?

   • 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.

   Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins - Oxford Reference

   www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920

   See all results for this question

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

    www.etymonline.com › word › word

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    Aug 4, 2022 · Learn the origin and meaning of the word word as a noun and a verb, and its related terms and expressions. Find out how word evolved from Old English to modern English, and how it relates to other languages and concepts.