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

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

worded, words

To express in particular words.

To carefully word a toast.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

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

at a word
good word
have a word with
have no words for
in a word
in so many words
of few words
of (one's) word
take at (someone's) word
take (someone's) word for it
upon my word
a good word
at a word
be as good as one's word
break one's word
hang on someone's words
have a word with
have no words for
have words with
in a word
in so many words
man (or woman) of his (or her) word
of many (or few) words
put words in someone's mouth
take someone at his (or her) word
take someone's word for it
take the words right out of someone's mouth
the Word
upon my word!
word for 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 urtÃ« (“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