World Book 1997 4.0

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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>WORD</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="word"> word, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a sound or a group of sounds that has meaning and is an independent unit of speech; vocable. Ex. We speak words when we talk. A free form which is not a phrase is a word. A word, then, is a free form which does not consist entirely of ... lesser free forms; in brief, a word is a minimum free form (Leonard Bloomfield). <DD> 2. the writing, or printing, that stands for a word. Bat, bet, bit, and but are words. Ex. This page is filled with words. Proper words in proper places make the true definition of style (Jonathan Swift). <DD> 3. a short talk. Ex. May I have a word with you? (SYN) conversation. <DD> 4. speech. Ex. He is honest in word and deed. (SYN) utterance. <DD> 5. a brief expression. Ex. The teacher gave us a word of advice. <DD> 6. a command; order. Ex. His word was law. (SYN) bidding, behest. <DD> 7. a signal; watchword; password. Ex. The word for tonight is "the King.". <DD> 8. a promise. Ex. The boy kept his word. I give you my word; I'll pay you back in a week. He's a man of his word and can be trusted completely. (SYN) pledge. <DD> 9. news; tidings; information. Ex. No word has come from the battlefront. What's the good word today? (SYN) report. <DD> 10. a saying; proverb; maxim. Ex. That well-known word which forbids the too accurate scanning of a present, 'One must not look a gift horse in the mouth' (Richard C. Trench). <DD> 11. (Electronics.) any set of symbols or characters stored and transferred by computer circuits as a unit of meaning. <DD>v.t. to put into or express in words; phrase. Ex. He worded his message clearly. expr. be as good as one's word, to keep one's promise. Ex. To be as good as my word, I bade Will to get me a rod (Samuel Pepys). expr. beyond words, incapable of being expressed; indescribable; unutterable. Ex. grief beyond words. Her kindness is beyond words. expr. by word of mouth, by spoken words; orally. Ex. He would rather tell him of this by word of mouth than by letter (D. D. Murray). expr. eat one's words, to take back what one has said; retract. Ex. The pretence that prices need not go up would ... compel some Ministers to eat their words once it became clear that prices had in fact moved (Manchester Guardian Weekly). expr. from the word go, (Slang.) from the very beginning. Ex. The whole thing prospered from the word go (Maclean's). expr. in a word, briefly. Ex. Man, in a word, is dependent on that which lies outside himself (Brooke F. Westcott). expr. in so many words, literally; in precisely that number of words; in those very words. Ex. The Lord Mayor had threatened in so many words to pull down the old London Bridge (Dickens). expr. mince words, to avoid coming to the point, telling the truth, or taking a stand by using ambiguous or evasive words. Ex. The teacher did not mince words in criticizing homework. expr. my word! an expression of surprise. Ex. My word! ... that something like a mob (Rolf Boldrewood). expr. not breathe a word, not to tell anything; keep something silent or confidential. Ex. Promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone. expr. of few words, not given to much or lengthy speaking; taciturn; laconic. Ex. Mr. Dubbley, who was a man of few words, nodded assent (Dickens). expr. of many words, given to much or lengthy speaking; talkative; loquacious. Ex. Not being a man of many words, [he] contented himself by stammering something about honour (R. S. Surtees). expr. on my word, truly; assuredly; upon my word. Ex. "I assure you, Major Scobie, on my word-- ... on my word as a friend, the package contains nothing" (Graham Greene). expr. put in a (good) word for, to say something on behalf of; recommend to the favor of another or others. Ex. I would also like to put in a good word for the catering, this coming as a pleasant surprise to me (Colin Howard). expr. put words into one's mouth, to change the meaning of or add to what someone is saying. Ex. That is not all what I meant to say; please don't put words into my mouth. expr. take one at one's word, to take one's words seriously and act accordingly. Ex. He started out with a confession that he knew nothing about it, and, confessing so much, I take it that the Senate will take him at his word (New Yorker). expr. take one's word (for it), to believe one. Ex. Take my word for it, there is nothing in it (Sir Richard Steele). expr. take the words out of one's mouth, to anticipate what another was just going to say. Ex. That's just what I had in mind; you took the words out of my mouth. expr. the last word. See under last word. expr. the Word, <DD> a. the Bible; the Scriptures or a part of them. Ex. Read us a chapter out of the Bible. I am very low in my mind, and at such times I like to hear the word (Henry Kingsley). <DD> b. the message of the gospel. Ex. to spread the Word. <DD> c. the Logos; the Son of God as a manifestation of God to mankind; second person of the Trinity. Ex. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). expr. upon my word, truly; certainly; indeed. Ex. Upon my word, I think the truth is the hardest missile one can be pelted with (George Eliot). expr. word for word, in the exact words. Ex. to repeat something word for word. expr. words, <DD> a. angry talk; quarrel; dispute. Ex. to have words with a person. I had sharp words with him. <DD> b. the text of a song as distinguished from the notes; lyrics. Ex. To the selfsame tune and words (Shakespeare). </DL> <A NAME="wordaccent"> word accent, =word stress.</DL> <A NAME="wordage"> wordage, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. words collectively. <DD> 2. quantity of words. <DD> 3. =verbiage. <DD> 4. =wording. </DL> <A NAME="wordassociation"> word association,<DL COMPACT><DD> (Psychology.) the act or process by which one or more words presented to a person are associated by him with another word or words, usually in quick succession. </DL> <A NAME="wordassociationtest"> word association test,<DL COMPACT><DD> a psychological test in which word association is used to evoke a subject's repressed thoughts or feelings or to determine the quality or rate of his verbal associations. </DL> <A NAME="wordblind"> word-blind, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> suffering from word blindness. </DL> <A NAME="wordblindness"> word blindness,<DL COMPACT><DD> loss of the ability to read; alexia. </DL> <A NAME="wordbook"> wordbook, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a list of words, usually with explanations; dictionary. (SYN) lexicon. <DD> 2. the libretto of an opera or other musical work. </DL> <A NAME="wordclass"> word class,<DL COMPACT><DD> (Linguistics.) <DD> 1. part of speech. <DD> 2. form class. </DL> <A NAME="wordelement"> word element,<DL COMPACT><DD> a combining form, prefix, suffix, or other element that by addition to a word modifies the word's meaning or use. </DL> <A NAME="wordforword"> word-for-word, adjective. =verbatim.</DL> <A NAME="wordhoard"> word-hoard, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person's vocabulary. </DL> <A NAME="wordily"> wordily, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in a wordy manner; verbosely. </DL> <A NAME="wordiness"> wordiness, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being wordy; verbosity. </DL> <A NAME="wording"> wording, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a way of saying a thing; choice of words; use of words; phrasing. Ex. Careful wording helps you make clear to others what you really mean. </DL> <A NAME="wordless"> wordless, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. without words; silent; speechless. <DD> 2. not put into words; unexpressed. adv. wordlessly. noun wordlessness. </DL> <A NAME="wordlore"> wordlore, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the study of words and their history; knowledge of words. <DD> 2. the words of a language and their history. </DL> <A NAME="wordmagic"> word-magic, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the use of a word or name in the belief that its utterance will magically alter, influence, or dispel the thing mentioned or named. </DL> <A NAME="wordman"> wordman, noun, pl. -men.<DL COMPACT><DD> a man who deals with or has a command of words; a master of language. Ex. Behind the derivations given in the dictionaries are stories that beguile wordmen and laymen alike (Saturday Review). </DL> <A NAME="wordmethod"> word method,<DL COMPACT><DD> a way of teaching reading by learning words before teaching the letters; whole-word method. </DL> <A NAME="wordmonger"> wordmonger, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who deals in words, especially in pedantic or empty words. Ex. The wordmongers who could clothe one shivering thought in a hundred thousand garments (John Motley). </DL> <A NAME="wordmongering"> wordmongering, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of dealing with words as a wordmonger does. </DL> <A NAME="wordofgod"> Word of God, =the Word.</DL> <A NAME="wordofhonor"> word of honor,<DL COMPACT><DD> a solemn promise. </DL> <A NAME="wordofmouth"> word-of-mouth, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. communicated by spoken words; oral. <DD>noun oral communication. Ex. Chartercraft owners also rely on travel agents, word-of-mouth and advertising ... to drum up business (Wall Street Journal). </DL> <A HREF="wordorde.dic">NEXT</A>