[wurd] 
| 1. | a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes blackʹbirdʹ from blackʹ birdʹ. Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages. |
| 2. | words,
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| 3. | a short talk or conversation: Marston, I'd like a word with you. |
| 4. | an expression or utterance: a word of warning. |
| 5. | warrant, assurance, or promise: I give you my word I'll be there. |
| 6. | news; tidings; information: We received word of his death. |
| 7. | a verbal signal, as a password, watchword, or countersign. |
| 8. | an authoritative utterance, or command: His word was law. |
| 9. | Also called machine word. Computers. a string of bits, characters, or bytes treated as a single entity by a computer, particularly for numeric purposes. |
| 10. | (initial capital letter ) Also called the Word, the Word of God.
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| 11. | a proverb or motto. |
| 12. | to express in words; select words to express; phrase: to word a contract with great care. |
| 13. | at a word, in immediate response to an order or request; in an instant: At a word they came to take the situation in hand. |
| 14. | be as good as one's word, to hold to one's promises. |
| 15. | eat one's words, to retract one's statement, esp. with humility: They predicted his failure, but he made them eat their words. |
| 16. | have a word, to talk briefly: Tell your aunt that I would like to have a word with her. |
| 17. | have no words for, to be unable to describe: She had no words for the sights she had witnessed. |
| 18. | in a word, in summary; in short: In a word, there was no comparison. Also, in one word. |
| 19. | in so many words, in unequivocal terms; explicitly: She told them in so many words to get out. |
| 20. | keep one's word, to fulfill one's promise: I said I'd meet the deadline, and I kept my word. |
| 21. | man of his word or woman of her word, a person who can be trusted to keep a promise; a reliable person. |
| 22. | my word! or upon my word! (used as an exclamation of surprise or astonishment.) |
| 23. | of few words, laconic; taciturn: a woman of few words but of profound thoughts. |
| 24. | of many words, talkative; loquacious; wordy: a person of many words but of little wit. |
| 25. | put in a good word for, to speak favorably of; commend: He put in a good word for her with the boss. Also, put in a word for. |
| 26. | take one at one's word, to take a statement to be literal and true. |
| 27. | take the words out of one's mouth, to say exactly what another person was about to say. |
| 28. | weigh one's words, to choose one's words carefully in speaking or writing: It was an important message, and he was weighing his words. |
| Lo·gos (lō'gōs', lŏg'ŏs') n.
[Greek; see leg- in Indo-European roots.] |
| word (wûrd) n.
To express in words: worded the petition carefully. interj. Slang Used to express approval or an affirmative response to something. Sometimes used with up. [Middle English, from Old English; see wer-5 in Indo-European roots.] |
Word
Microsoft Word
word storage
A fundamental unit of storage in a computer. The size of a word in a particular computer architecture is one of its chief distinguishing characteristics.
The size of a word is usually the same as the width of the computer's data bus so it is possible to read or write a word in a single operation. An instruction is usually one or more words long and a word can be used to hold a whole number of characters. These days, this nearly always means a whole number of bytes (eight bits), most often 32 or 64 bits. In the past when six bit character sets were used, a word might be a multiple of six bits, e.g. 24 bits (four characters) in the ICL 1900 series.
(1994-11-11)
word
In addition to the idioms beginning with work, also see all in a day's work; all work and no play; at work; busy work; dirty work; get down to (work); good works; gum up (the works); have one's work cut out; in the works; make short work of; many hands make light work; out of work; shoot the works; the works; turn (work) out all right.