wordn.int.

Brit.

/wəːd/, U.S.

/wərd/

Forms: Old English uord (chiefly Northumbrian), Old English uuord (rare), Old English (rare) werd, Old English (rare)–early Middle English weord, Old English (Northumbrian)–early Middle English woerd, Old English–early Middle English worð (rare), Old English–1600s wurd, Old English– word, late Old English wor (perhaps transmission error), early Middle English worth (rare), early Middle English wurð (rare), Middle English owrdes (plural, transmission error), Middle English worder (transmission error), Middle English wored, Middle English wort, Middle English worþes (plural, perhaps transmission error), Middle English wourd, Middle English wourde, Middle English wrd, Middle English wrode (probably transmission error), Middle English wuord, Middle English wyrd, Middle English (1700s nonstandard) vord, Middle English–1500s wurde, Middle English–1600s woord, Middle English–1600s woorde, Middle English–1600s wordd, Middle English–1600s worde, 1500s wordde; U.S. regional 1800s– wud, 1900s– woid (New York), 1900s– wu'd; English regional 1800s– wod (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), 1800s– woo'd (Leicestershire), 1800s– wud, 1800s– wurd (north-western), 1900s– wodd (Lincolnshire), 1900s– worrd (Westmorland); Scottish pre-1700 uoord, pre-1700 uorde, pre-1700 vard (probably transmission error), pre-1700 vord, pre-1700 vorde, pre-1700 vourd, pre-1700 woird, pre-1700 woord, pre-1700 woorde, pre-1700 worde, pre-1700 wourd, pre-1700 wourde, pre-1700 wowrd, pre-1700 1700s– word, pre-1700 1800s– wird (now chiefly northern and north-eastern), 1700s werd, 1800s– ward, 1800s– wurd; also Irish English 1800s wurrd, 1900s– wurd.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian word (West Frisian wurd), Old Dutch wort (Middle Dutch wort, word, Dutch woord), Old Saxon word (Middle Low German wort), Old High German wort (Middle High German wort, German Wort), Old Icelandic orð, Old Swedish orþ (Swedish ord), Old Danish orth (Danish ord), Gothic waurd, all denoting both ‘an utterance’ and ‘an element or unit of speech, a word’ < the same Indo-European base as Lithuanian vardas name, forename, title, Latvian vārds word, forename, promise, classical Latin verbum word, showing an extended form of the Indo-European base of ancient Greek ῥήτωρ (earlier ϝρήτωρ) speaker, (Epic and Ionic) ἐρέω (earlier ϝερέω; Attic ἐρῶ) I shall say, and perhaps also Sanskrit vrata behest, command.In the and God's word after post-classical Latin verbum Dei (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ (New Testament). In the word of Christ after post-classical Latin verbum Christi (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τοῦ Χριστοῦ (New Testament). In the word of grace after post-classical Latin verbum gratiae (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τῆς χάριτος (New Testament). In the word of life after post-classical Latin verbum vitae (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek λόγος ζωῆς (New Testament). In sense A. 11 after classical Latin verbum, ancient Greek λόγος word, as used in the New Testament; compare Logos n. In Old English a strong neuter; the unchanged plural reflecting this declension survives into the early Middle English period (compare quot. c1275 at sense A. 2b).

A. n.

I. Speech, utterance, verbal expression.

1. As a count noun (usually in singular).

(a) Something that is or has been said; an utterance, a statement, a speech, a remark. Now somewhat rare in general sense, except in true (also truer) word.Seven (Last) Words: see Phrases 3c(a).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken

speechc897

saw9..

speech971

wordOE

quideOE

wordsOE

wordOE

thingOE

rouna1225

mouthc1225

queatha1250

breathc1300

reasonc1300

speakingsa1325

swarec1325

saying1340

voicec1350

lorea1375

sermonc1385

carpc1400

gear1415

utterancec1454

parol1474

ditty1483

say1571

said1578

dictumc1586

palabra1600

breathing1606

bringinga1616

elocution?1637

rumblea1680

elocutive1821

vocability1841

deliverance1845

deliverment1850

deliverancy1853

verbalization1858

voicing1888

sayable1937

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xiv. 140 Ða sæde he him, ic hit soðlice eom. Hi ða mid þam worde, wendon underbæc.

OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) iv. 25 Gyf ge þonne minum worde ne gelyfað.., ic hæbbe to dæg gewitnysse heofon & eorðan ðæt ge forwurðað.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 282 Swa wass filledd opennliȝ Þatt word tatt ær wass cwiddedd.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 45 Min word..Maȝȝ hellpenn þa þatt redenn itt. To sen. & tunnderrstanndenn.

a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 235 (MED) He cweð a wunder worder [read worde] to þar sawle bi þa witie ysaiam.

c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 1567 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 151 Þe king makede him wroth i-novȝ for þat word ase he hadde ofte i-beo.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 541 Suspect his face, suspect his word also Suspect the tyme in which he this bigan.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xv. 145 With that vorde assemblit thai.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 538 Wallace was blyth fra he had hard thar wourd.

1534 J. Fewterer tr. U. Pinder Myrrour Christes Passion 124 This moste comfortable worde of our most swete sauyour Iesu spoken vnto the thefe.

1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1258/1 At this worde which he coupled with an othe, came I in.

1568 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1928) II. 87 The wird of Iesew is fulfillit rycht Surrexit sicut dixit.

1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. Pref. 11 Then his word were an Oracle, his opinion a decision.

1749 D. Garrick Lethe: Dramatic Satire 13 Old Man. I have, to say the Truth, a little Money—it is that indeed, which causes all my Uneasiness. Æsop. Thou never spok'st a truer Word in thy Life, old Gentleman.

1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 239 He blessed the bread, but vanish'd at the word.

1800 W. Scott Eve St. John 7 Now, trust my word, my noble Lord!

1841 G. P. R. James Brigand xxix My word is said, and it shall be inviolable.

c1889 W. W. Pratt Ten Nights in Bar-Room i. ii. 9 Green. If our excellent friend..is not the richest man in Cedarville in ten years, he will have the satisfaction of knowing that he has made the town richer. Willie. A true word that, as true a word as was ever spoken.

1939 Times 15 July 6/1 Who was it that declared that a man needs a head to play golf? Whoever he was he spoke a true word.

1948 H. Henderson Elegies Dead in Cyrenaica 20 Minding the great word of Glencoe's son, that we should not disfigure ourselves with villainy of hatred.

1986 ELH 53 479 Andrew Aguecheek..probably thinks he never spoke truer word than when he declares his conviction that ‘to be up late is to be up late’.

2003 M. Spindler in I. Daneel et al. Fullness of Life for All viii. 106 The famous word of Jesus: ‘I have come that men may have life, and may have it in all its fullness.’

(b) In apposition, with the text of the utterance or statement as complement. Now rare.

ΚΠ

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xiii. 134 Þæt word belimpð synderlice to gode anum, Ic eom.

c1425 Myrour to Lewde Men & Wymmen (Harl.) (1981) 84 (MED) This worde ‘in celis’, þat is to seie ‘in heuenes’, scheweþ þat þere be mo heuenes þan on.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. iii. 146 The hoplesse word of neuer to returne, Breathe I against thee.

1631 T. Dekker Penny-wise, Povnd Foolish sig. C2^v Ferdinand hearing..that word, single penny, cast his eye backe vpon my counterfet beggar.

1835 D. P. Thompson Adventures Timothy Peacock xvi. 177 The omnific word, ‘I am that I am,’ which none but the craft will presume to depreciate.

1903 J. Keatinge Priest iii. 46 We should put down the three words ‘Peace’, ‘Perseverance’, ‘A worthy Communion to-day.’

b. In negative contexts (or with negative implied), or with every: any or the least utterance, statement, or fragment of speech; anything at all (said or written).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken

speechc897

saw9..

speech971

wordOE

quideOE

wordsOE

wordOE

thingOE

rouna1225

mouthc1225

queatha1250

breathc1300

reasonc1300

speakingsa1325

swarec1325

saying1340

voicec1350

lorea1375

sermonc1385

carpc1400

gear1415

utterancec1454

parol1474

ditty1483

say1571

said1578

dictumc1586

palabra1600

breathing1606

bringinga1616

elocution?1637

rumblea1680

elocutive1821

vocability1841

deliverance1845

deliverment1850

deliverancy1853

verbalization1858

voicing1888

sayable1937

OE Riddle 18 1 Ic eom wunderlicu wiht; ne mæg word sprecan, mældan for monnum, þeah ic muþ hæbbe.

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxix. 420 Se eadiga laurentius mid nanum worde him ne geandwyrde.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 70 Þatt upp onn all þiss boc ne be. Nan word ȝæn cristess lare.

a1350 (?c1225) King Horn (Harl.) (1901) l. 260 Þah hue ne dorste at bord Mid him speke ner a word [v.r. no worde].

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 879 (MED) He couþe no word long þerafter spek.

c1400 Life St. Anne (Minn.) (1928) 554 (MED) Iosep couth speke no wrode [read worde] for shame.

a1500 (?a1425) Antichrist (Peniarth) in R. M. Lumiansky & D. Mills Chester Myst. Cycle (1974) I. App. 505 (MED) Why wylte thou not one wurde speke theym tyll that comyn me to reprove?

?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 45 I sall say furth the south, dissymyland no word.

1581 J. Hamilton Catholik Traictise Testim. sig. Viv^v He sal not haif ane vourd to ansueir.

1594 W. Percy Sonnets to Fairest Coelia v. sig. B Ho, Muses blab you? Not a word, Pieannets, or I will gag you.

1611 Bible (King James) 2 Sam. xix. 10 Why speake ye not a word of bringing the king backe?

1667 Earl of Orrery Coll. State Lett. (1742) 305 He..got an order..without so much as telling me one word of it.

1676 Earl of Essex in C. E. Pike Essex Papers (1913) II. 83 I was above four months before I could gett one word of answer from him.

1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 209 They never heard a Word of English.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xlviii. 342 You undo me, if one word of this matter escape you.

1758 C. Lennox Henrietta I. ii. ii. 105 That..her every word and action [might] be under his direction.

1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility II. viii. 137 I would not mention a word about it to her.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xi. 10 No word indicating that he took blame to himself.

1863 W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting vii. 294 It is now eighteen months since I heard a word..from my friends.

1882 W. Besant All Sorts of Men II. xxi. 100 Her ladyship held out her hands, without a word.

1945 G. Mitchell Rising of Moon iii. 32 Those circus people are funny sort of cusses. Not a word to say for themselves.

1991 G. Dyer But Beautiful 21 He could tell he had the attention of this small, sparsely populated court—..they were hanging on his every word.

2006 Countryman Dec. 30/1 I complained bitterly about never receiving a word of praise.

c. A (short or slight) utterance, statement, or remark; a brief speech or conversation. Esp. as a word; similarly a word or two, a couple of words.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken > short

a wordc1405

half a word1562

a couple of words1589

a few well-chosen words1854

OE West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) xx. 3 Ic ahsige eow an word [L. unum verbum], andswariað me, wæs Iohannes fulluht of heofone?

lOE St. Margaret (Corpus Cambr.) (1994) 166 Ac ic þe bidde, eadige fæmne, þæt ic wið þe an word dælan mote.]

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 302 Now wol I speke of oothes false and grete A word or two, as olde bokes trete.

?c1425 T. Hoccleve Jonathas (Durh.) l. 213 in Minor Poems (1970) i. 223 Now, sire, yit a word, by your licence, Suffrith me for to seye and speke now.

c1450 (a1400) Libeaus Desconus (Calig. A.ii) (1969) 41 (MED) Kyng Artour, my lord, Graunte me to speke a word, J pray þe, par amour.

?c1500 Mary Magdalene (Digby) l. 1423 Master of þe shepe, a word with þe.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. CCCiii Than if we be touched w^t a sharpe worde we shall yelde a..gentyll answere.

1581 T. Wilcox Glasse for Gamesters vi. sig. cv^v Nowe a worde or two, out of the fathers,..for the ouerthrowyng of Dise and Cardes.

1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xxv. 252 So occupied..in the Princes affaires, as it is a great matter to haue a couple of wordes with them.

1611 Bible (King James) Isa. l. 4 To speake a worde in season [1560 Geneva a worde in time] to him that is wearie.

1660 R. Coke Elements Power & Subjection v. iv. 266* in Justice Vindicated It will not be amisse before I conclude to add a word or two in vindication of Sir Edward Coke.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. iii. 52 I entreated to be heard a Word or two.

1761 J. Wesley Let. 19 Feb. (1931) IV. 141 This ad hominem. But I have a word more ad rem. Can a man teach what he does not know?

1810 G. Crabbe Borough xxii. 299 Peter..had of all a civil word and wish.

1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. I. 115 Some ordinary word of recognition passed between her and her mother.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxiii. 359 And now, gentlemen, but one word more.

1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 59 I have a word to say..which may seem to be depreciatory of legislators.

1909 Chatterbox 254/2 We may..say a word about nest-building among the mammalia.

1930 M. Waldman tr. J. Martet Georges Clemenceau xii. 71 I'll say a couple of words to him and then you're to take him away.

1959 Motor Man. (ed. 36) v. 130 A word or two should be said on the subject of tyre pressures.

1990 A. Lambert No Talking after Lights viii. 151 She hoped..that she herself could find a moment..for a quiet word with her about the death of her mother.

2000 S. Kinsella Secret Dreamworld Shopaholic i. 18 Philip the editor calls my name... ‘Rebecca?’ he says. ‘A word.’ And he beckons me over to his desk.

d. spec. Something said on behalf of another. to put in a (good) word for: see to put in 6a at put v. Phrasal verbs 1. See also good word n. 2. In quot. 1625: †(in plural) votes (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > intercession or influence on someone's behalf > [noun] > that which is said or done on behalf of another

word1487

citizen advocacy1969

1487 Thewis Gud Women (St. John's Cambr.) l. 139 in R. Girvan Ratis Raving & Other Early Scots Poems (1939) 89 Gif nane Ill word behynd þar bak.

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Mutus No friend hath intreated or spoken a worde for me.

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 197 A Gentleman..understood that I had been robbed in France, where~upon hee gave his word for me unto the Maior.

1625 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. v. 472 Whoesoever..shall labour or practise to gaine woordes for to make a Mayor, Sheriffe, or any other officer.

1638 R. Baker tr. J. L. G. de Balzac New Epist. II. 101 A prudence that is so..scrupulous, that feares to venture a word for a vertuous friend.

1831 T. Carlyle Early German Lit. in Crit. & Misc. Ess. (1872) III. 196 The venerable man deserves a word from us.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iii. 301 Any dissolute courtier for whom one of the king's mistresses would speak a word.

1940 M. Lowry Let. 7 May (1967) 30 I'd be immensely beholden to you if you would put in the odd word.

1996 Nation (N.Y.) 15 July 8/1 Why not take another step and say that shopping malls..constitute the public sphere today? Why just a word for the Riggio brothers? Why not a clap on the back for McDonald's?

e. A watchword; a password. Now rare.to give the word: see Phrases 4c(b).

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > word or cry > [noun] > password

token1377

worda1500

watchworda1513

countersign1598

nayworda1616

tessera1647

counter-word1678

password1799

hard word1830

token pledge1896

tryst-word1896

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 294 (MED) Thei cried ‘Clarence!’, the worde of kynge Arthur.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxvii. 230 When he sawe his tyme, he cryed his worde & token.

1662 J. Dauncey Eng. Lovers ii. 118 Captain Goodlake having got the Kings privy Signet, and the Military Word, for that night.

1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier ii. 180 The Lord of Hosts was so much in their Mouths, for that was the Word for that Day, that they took little heed how to conduct the Host of the Lord to their own Advantage.

1844 W. M. Thackeray Barry Lyndon i. xii in Fraser's Mag. June 730/1 If you meet any of the patrol, say ‘foxes are loose’,—that's the word for to-night.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 608 The word by which the insurgents were to recognise one another in the darkness was Soho.

1902 E. Wharton Valley of Decision II. 310 Your Highness,..the gates are guarded; but the word for to-night is Humilitas.

2. In plural.

a. Things said or stated; something expressed in verbal form, whether spoken or written; discourse, utterance.In early use sometimes used spec. of speech as distinguished from writing.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken

speechc897

saw9..

speech971

wordOE

quideOE

wordsOE

wordOE

thingOE

rouna1225

mouthc1225

queatha1250

breathc1300

reasonc1300

speakingsa1325

swarec1325

saying1340

voicec1350

lorea1375

sermonc1385

carpc1400

gear1415

utterancec1454

parol1474

ditty1483

say1571

said1578

dictumc1586

palabra1600

breathing1606

bringinga1616

elocution?1637

rumblea1680

elocutive1821

vocability1841

deliverance1845

deliverment1850

deliverancy1853

verbalization1858

voicing1888

sayable1937

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) i. 187 Þa com se engel to hire & hi gegrette mid godes wordum.

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxv. 382 Ac seo modor him wiðcwæð mid wordum, & se dumba fæder mid gewrite.

OE Beowulf (2008) 612 Ðær wæs hæleþa hleahtor, hlyn swynsode, word wæron wynsume.

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) iii. 20 He andwyrde mid feawum wordum.

a1200 (?OE) Royal Charter: Æðelstan to St. Paul's Minster (Sawyer 452) in S. E. Kelly Charters of St. Paul's, London (2004) 166 Ic Aðelstan..cyðe minum witum & on þisum gewrite mid wordum afæstnige, þæt ic wille friðian ealle ða lande are into S. Paules mynstre.

?c1250 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Egerton) l. 9 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 288 (MED) Fele ydele word ic habbe i-queþen.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3328 Mid wurden and mid writen þe [c1300 Otho he] dude heom wel to witen, [etc.].

c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 1572 (MED) Þe clerkes spoken to þe child Dradefullich, wiþ wordes milde.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 890 Til þat worm þan drightin spak Wordes bath o wrath and wrak.

1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) vii. 28 Wythout moo wordes the knyght mounted..on horsbake.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) John vi. f. cxxix^v The wordes that I speake vnto you are sprete and lyfe.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 66 Youre holy rewle forbydeth you all vayne and ydel wordes.

1533 J. Gau in tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay To Rdr. sig. Aiv Ane prayer is noth the mair plesand to god for causz we wsz mony vordis in it.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. i [They] affirmed their doynges to be good, bothe in wordes and writyng.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) v. x. 6 I haue no words, My voice is in my Sword.

1638 F. Junius Painting of Ancients 89 Seeing they cleare such a great point in a few words.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost x. 865 Soft words to his fierce passion she assay'd.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 384 They..in Words and Tears had spent The little time of stay.

1744 E. Haywood Female Spectator No. 3 (1748) I. 113 It is sure a pleasure which no words can paint!

1795 A. Hughes Jemima II. 87 You profess a wish to oblige me, said Rosina; if only words of course, I beg you will spare my ear.

1813 Lady Burghersh Lett. (1893) 61 Words can't describe the figures the women dress here.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xx. 170 When he had a duty to perform, Captain Dobbin was accustomed to go through it without many words or much hesitation.

1878 W. Besant & J. Rice By Celia's Arbour I. xvii. 253 I have no words..to express the very great thanks which I..owe to you.

1901 F. Norris Octopus ii. i. 304 Then, turning to Magnus, excused himself for the acridity of his words.

1956 M. Dickens Angel in Corner ix. 161 A dry, business-like woman who wasted no words, and no sympathy on anyone who made a mistake.

1973 T. Wicker Facing Lions 67 The..voice was as hesitant and its words as rambling and loosely collected as those of the farmers who preceded him.

2002 N. Tosches In Hand of Dante 56 Don Lecco then was young and robust, and he spoke more with rifle and silence than with words.

b. With possessive: that which the specified person has said or written. Also with anaphoric or cataphoric determiners, as such words, these words, etc., with reference to a particular expression or form of language.

ΚΠ

OE Cynewulf Juliana 83 Ic þæt geswerge,..gif þas word sind soþ, monna leofast, þe þu me sagast, þæt ic hy ne sparige.

OE Genesis A (1931) 2391 Ne wile Sarran soð gelyfan wordum minum.

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xxxv. 303 Swa swa se apostol us warnode ðissum wordum, Est peccatum ad mortem, pro quo rogo ne quis oret.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 217 (MED) On þesse fewe litele wored lotied [prob. read lotieð] fele gode wored gif hie weren wel ioponen [perh. read ioponed].

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1801 Þe alde king..þas wuord seide.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12226 (MED) Fle for-soth fra him wil i, His wordes i mai noght vnderli.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 315 Discreet he was and of greet reuerence He seemed swich hise wordes weeren so wyse.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) ix. 752 Sen thou spekis so ryaly, It is gret skill at men chasty Thi prowd vourdis.

1527 S. Gardiner Let. Wolsey in J. Strype Eccl. Memorials (1721) I. App. 71 At these words the Popes Ho. casting his armes abrode, bad us put in the words we varyed for.

a1535 T. More Confut. Barnes in Wks. (1557) 770/2 Hys fyrst authorite be these words of saynte Austyne in hys fyftieth sermon.

a1555 H. Latimer 27 Serm. (1562) ii. f. 54 It is an Amphibologia and therfore Erasmus turneth it into latin with such words.

1644 J. Milton tr. M. Bucer Ivdgem. conc. Divorce 21 That in the words of our Saviour there can be no contrarietie.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso 413 The Spaniards said that the Medici should do well to be once quiet... Lorenzo..reply'd to these resentful words.

1749 Copy Let. Fr. Lady at Paris 17 Not yet, answered Mr. de Vaudreuil, at which Words, the Prince darted a menancing Look at him.

1817 P. B. Shelley Ozymandias 9 And on the pedestal these words appear.

1885 ‘H. Conway’ Family Affair III. iii. 40 To use his own words, he was in a cleft stick.

1937 Helena (Montana) Independent 29 Dec. 4/5 After these words, Dr. Dewey can certainly not be accused of being pro-Trotsky!

1989 Time 6 Nov. 51/2 Such words from the leader of a superpower that lays claim to a comprehensive nuclear arsenal..may seem facile.

2005 Philadelphia Mag. (Nexis) Oct. I hate to be a flip-flopper, but..I have to say that my 1999 words strike me today as ridiculous.

c. spec. The text of a song or other vocal composition, as distinct from the music; the text of an actor's part.In early use sometimes also in singular in same sense.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > vocal music > [noun] > lyrics

wordseOE

ditty1552

recitative1659

testo1724

lyric1876

pop lyric1960

verbal1964

bars1994

society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > poem or piece of poetry > lyric poem > [noun] > poem to be sung

songeOE

wordseOE

leothOE

laya1240

dittya1300

ditea1325

ode1579

dit1590

canton1594

canto1603

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > a play > [noun] > words spoken by actors

dialogue1572

side speech1728

words1761

line1882

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xlvi. 347 On ðæm chore beoð manige menn gegadrode anes hwæt to singanne anum wordum & anre stefne.

lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) ii. 8 Ða lioð þe ic wrecca geo lustbærlice song ic sceal nu heofiende singan, & mid swi[þe] ungeradum wordum gesettan.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Prioress's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 69 He Alma redemptoris herde synge..And herkned ay the wordes and the note.

a1450 tr. Aelred of Rievaulx De Institutione Inclusarum (Bodl.) (1984) 7 (MED) We leuen vnsongen in Lente a songe and a worde of melodye that is called Alleluia.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) i. 56 Whyle there ys thre thynges in goddes seruyce..The sentence, the worde, and the songe, the notes and songe serue to the wordes, and the wordes serue to the inwarde sentence.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) i. iii. 86 Toth' selfe-same tune and words .

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 43 The Tune I still retain, but not the Words.

1761 B. Victor Hist. Theatres Lond. & Dublin II. 5 The Rehearsals..begin to be of Use to the Actor: When he is quite perfect in the Words and Cues.

1774 A. M. Storer in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1844) III. 77 An air set to the words of one of his own ballads.

1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess vii. 156 Till at the last she set herself to man, Like perfect music unto noble words.

1890 S. Baring-Gould Old Country Life 279 A marvellous store of old words and tunes in her head.

1919 H. Granville-Barker in Drama July 3/1 The actor who sits apart to learn his words and ‘form his own conception’ is a nuisance.

1934 A. Huxley Beyond Mexique Bay 19 The tunes to which these songs are sung is always some variant of an old Spanish air called Calypso; the words are home-made and topical.

1986 Early Music 14 369/1 A song, the words of which are in a macaronic mixture of Latin, Swedish and German.

2006 New Yorker 30 Oct. 86/1 He sang along, tra-la-la-ed for a moment when he didn't know the words.

d. high (also hard) words: angry words, reproaches. Cf. sense A. 9a.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > anger > manifestation of anger > [noun] > angry speech

misword?c1225

hard words1583

storm1602

bark1663

warmth1710

1583 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments (ed. 4) I. 1189/1 Upon this, great and hygh wordes rose betwene them.

1592 L. Andrewes Wonderfull Combate vii. f. 88^v Our Sauiour (we see) doth not only refuse the thing: but also giues him hard words.

1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. i. 1 When hard words, Jealousies and Fears, Set Folks together by the ears.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xvi. ii. 6 This so incensed her Father, that..he departed from her with many hard Words and Curses.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison II. xii. 86 High words passed between them. They parted in passion.

1842 Ld. Tennyson Dora in Poems (new ed.) II. 34 He and I Had once hard words, and parted.

1879 Scribner's Monthly Nov. 154/1 So these twain stood bandying hard words, but the goodly-greaved Achaeans sprang up with a wondrous din.

1962 D. Lessing Golden Notebk. iv. 451 I was a hundred per cent party member, and there was Harry, a dirty Trot, so there were high words and we parted for ever.

1993 P. Ackroyd House of Dr. Dee (1994) v. 184 Being delayed by some high words with my servant for leaving my close-stool uncleansed.

a. An act of speaking or uttering something, usually in contrast with writing (esp. in early use), or with action, gesture, thought, etc.; (in plural) speaking, verbal expression. In later use chiefly with prepositions (esp. by, with). Formerly also: †speech, (manner of) speaking (obsolete except in word of mouth n.).In quot. a1393: a language, a tongue.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > a language > [noun]

speechc888

rounOE

ledenc1000

tonguec1000

wordOE

moalc1175

speaka1300

languagec1300

land-speecha1325

talea1325

lip1382

stevenc1386

languea1425

leed1513

public language1521

idiom1575

idiotism1588

lingua1660

lingua franca1697

receptive language1926

the mind > language > speech > [noun]

speechc725

spellc888

tonguec897

spellingc1000

wordOE

mathelingOE

redec1275

sermonc1275

leeda1300

gale13..

speakc1300

speaking1303

ledenc1320

talea1325

parliamentc1325

winda1330

sermoningc1330

saying1340

melinga1375

talkingc1386

wordc1390

prolationa1393

carpinga1400

eloquencec1400

utteringc1400

language?c1450

reporturec1475

parleyc1490

locutionc1500

talk1539

discourse1545

report1548

tonguec1550

deliverance1553

oration1555

delivery1577

parling1582

parle1584

conveying1586

passage1598

perlocution1599

wording1604

bursta1616

ventilation1615

loquency1623

voicinga1626

verbocination1653

loquence1677

pronunciation1686

loquel1694

jawinga1731

talkee-talkee?1740

vocification1743

talkation1781

voicing1822

utterancy1827

voicing1831

the spoken word1832

outness1851

verbalization1851

voice1855

outgiving1865

stringing1886

praxis1950

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > as expression

wordOE

speakinga1325

locution1483

verbalization1851

vocalization1887

OE Beowulf (2008) 289 Æghwæþres sceal scearp scyldwiga gescad witan, worda ond worca.

OE Blickling Homilies 35 We eac agyltaþ..þurh geþoht, & þurh word, & þurh weorc, & þurh willan.

OE Gloria I (Junius) 56 Ðu..man geworhtest and him on dydest oruð.., sealdest word and gewitt.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 675 On his time þa seonde he to Rome Wilfrid biscop to þam pape..& cydde him mid writ & mid worde hu his breðre Peada & Wulfhere & se abbot Saxulf heafden wroht an minstre.

c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 173 We sceolen þanken him a mid worde, mid dæda, and mid alle heortæ.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3043 Þatt godess enngell seȝȝde þær. Till iosæp þuss wiþþ worde.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 65 Gif man haueð wið us agilt, woerdes, oðer wurkes, we þat him forgiueð.

c1390 (c1300) MS Vernon Homilies in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1877) 57 269 (MED) Sone heo gon chaunge hire word.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) ii. l. 1406 (MED) Couste in Saxoun is to sein Constance upon the word Romein.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15263 For þat i sai yow her wit word, Þar sal yee find in dede.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 2283 Ouþer in word or dede has þou greued him.

a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 44 Sho sal be repreuid foure siþe with worde.

?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 9 He was iust & trewe in dede & in word.

1491 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 185/2 Duncane laid in wedset a land and tenement in Linlithqw to Thomas Gudelad be word and but charter or possessioune.

a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) ii. iii. sig. D.j No man for despite, By worde or by write His felowe to twite.

c1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) i. 109 Wordis w^tout werkis availȝeis nocht a cute.

1572 (a1500) Taill of Rauf Coilȝear (1882) 100 The Carll was wantoun of word.

1580 J. Hay in Catholic Tractates (1901) 39 The traditions quhilk ye have learned ather be wourd, or be our epistle.

1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iii. iii. 97 My words fly vp, my thoughts remaine belowe Words without thoughts neuer to heauen goe.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) ii. i. 61 Words to the heat of deedes too cold breath giues.

1616 B. Jonson Poëtaster (rev. ed.) iii. v, in Wks. I. 309 Great Caesars warres cannot be fought with words.

1667 T. Sprat Hist. Royal-Soc. 434 A Society that prefers Works before Words.

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iii. 9 Thy actions to thy words accord.

1728 P. Walker Life A. Peden (1827) p. xiii It is..maliciously spread, both by Word and Writ.

1773 J. Erskine Inst. Law Scotl. II. iii. iii. §31 This contract cannot be perfected till the mandatory has undertaken to execute the mandate; which he may do, either by word, by writing, or by any deed which sufficiently discovers his resolution.

1790 Sempronia III. 61 It misjoins nor thoughts, nor words, nor deeds.

1800 S. T. Coleridge tr. F. Schiller Piccolomini i. iii. 61 Men's words are ever bolder than their deeds.

1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 52 Their deeds did not agree with their words.

1885 Times 5 Dec. 3/5 I think what passed between the parties, whether by word or by writing, should be looked at to see what was the real transaction.

1941 P. Sturges Sullivan's Trav. in Five Screenplays (1986) 669 I'm goin' to ask you once more, neither by word, nor by action, nor by look to make our guests feel unwelcome.

1954 Phylon 15 180 Fighting against prejudice with words and deeds.

1996 Independent 15 Jan. 14/2 All we really need is for teachers and parents to impart, by word and by example, lessons in good citizenship.

†b. The faculty of speech. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun]

speechc725

spellc888

tonguec897

spellingc1000

wordOE

mathelingOE

redec1275

sermonc1275

leeda1300

gale13..

speakc1300

speaking1303

ledenc1320

talea1325

parliamentc1325

winda1330

sermoningc1330

saying1340

melinga1375

talkingc1386

wordc1390

prolationa1393

carpinga1400

eloquencec1400

utteringc1400

language?c1450

reporturec1475

parleyc1490

locutionc1500

talk1539

discourse1545

report1548

tonguec1550

deliverance1553

oration1555

delivery1577

parling1582

parle1584

conveying1586

passage1598

perlocution1599

wording1604

bursta1616

ventilation1615

loquency1623

voicinga1626

verbocination1653

loquence1677

pronunciation1686

loquel1694

jawinga1731

talkee-talkee?1740

vocification1743

talkation1781

voicing1822

utterancy1827

voicing1831

the spoken word1832

outness1851

verbalization1851

voice1855

outgiving1865

stringing1886

praxis1950

c1390 in C. Horstmann Minor Poems Vernon MS (1892) i. 66 Aue..nostre spes salutis, Per quam cecis redditur lux, & sermo mutis... Heil..hope of ur hele, Bi whom to blynde is ȝolde aȝeyn Siht, and word to doumbe at mele.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1509 (MED) Above alle erthli creatures The hihe makere of natures The word to man hath yove alone.

a. Report, information, news, tidings.Frequently without article, esp. in phrasal use with certain verbs, as to bring (send, write, etc.) word; to have word; word came, etc. For the more established phrases see the verbs.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > news or tidings > [noun]

wordOE

tiding1069

messagec1325

sound1413

news1417

advicec1425

noveltya1450

novelsc1450

newel1484

strangesa1500

nouvellesc1500

uncouthsa1529

occurrent1583

actualité1840

OE Blickling Homilies 173 Þa sona swa þæt word becom to Nerone þæm casere.

OE tr. Apollonius of Tyre (1958) viii. 12 Far to Antiocho þam cynge and sege him þæt me sy þæt heafod fram þam hneccan acorfen, and bring þæt word þam cynge to blisse.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1046 Þam cynge com word þet unnfrið scipa lægen be westan and hergodon.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1864 Cordoille [perh. read to Cordoille] com þat wourd þat heo was iworðen widewe.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 826 (MED) He sende þe quene is doȝter word wuch is aunters were.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11454 Word cum til herod þe kyng, Þat þar was suilk kynges cummun.

1415 in 43rd Ann. Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. (1882) App. i. 583 in Parl. Papers (C. 3425) XXXVI. 1 He sende me no more worde of yat mater til I cam to Yorke.

?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) xxv. 119 He schall hafe worde within a day and a nyght.

c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 102 Hur husband..hard no tithandis nor wurd of his wyfe nor of his childer.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxv. 221 My brother Huon..is now..in the abbay of seint Mauryse, the abbot there hath sent me worde therof.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iii. v. 45 I must carry her word quickely.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) ii. v. 119 Bid you Alexas Bring me word, how tall she is.

1658 Publick Intelligencer No. 135. 681 From Dantzick they write us word; that the Swedes..set fire on the works which were begun.

1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 284. ¶5 Send me Word..whether he has so great an Estate.

1763 C. Johnstone Reverie (new ed.) I. ix. 32 Scarce was he seated, when he received word, that a strange gentleman wanted to speak with him.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xlvi. 455 We had word this morning..that Mr. Dombey was doing well.

1853 E. Bulwer-Lytton My Novel I. iv. xxiii. 366 The Parson writes word that the lad will come to-day.

1920 Outing June 137/2 If you discover a fire, put it out if possible. If you cannot, get word to the nearest U.S. Fire Ranger or State Fire Warden.

1959 P. Frank Alas, Babylon vi. 118 The word came through that Washington had been atomized.

1985 Times 22 July 12/5 Jesuit missionaries..brought the word of its therapeutic value to Europe.

2005 New Yorker 2 May 76/2 His aides regularly leak word of his particular resentments to the conflict-hungry press.

b. Common report or statement. Also: rumour, gossip.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > rumour > [noun]

speechc1000

wordOE

hearinga1300

opinion1340

talesa1375

famea1387

inklinga1400

slandera1400

noising1422

rumour?a1425

bruit1477

nickinga1500

commoninga1513

roarc1520

murmura1522

hearsay?1533

cry1569

scandal1596

vogue1626

discourse1677

sough1716

circulation1775

gossip1811

myth1849

breeze1879

sound1899

potin1922

dirt1926

rumble1929

skinny1938

labrish1942

lie and story1950

scam1964

he-say-she-say1972

factoid1973

ripple1977

goss1985

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxviii. 15 Þis wurd wæs gewidmærsod mid Iudeum.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 82 Þa com þat word to him, þat was widene cuð, þat þe king Latin ȝef Lauine his douter Eneam to are brude.

c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) l. 1017 Þe word bigan to springe Of Rymenhilde weddinge.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 1579 (MED) Þe word wide went sone þat william was heled.

a1425 (?c1350) Ywain & Gawain (1964) l. 46 (MED) Swilk lose þai wan..Over al þe werld went þe worde.

1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) ii. 78 Our all the land the word gan spryng, That the Bruce the Cumyn had slayn.

a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 357 The word sprang throw the contrie that the king of Scottland was landit.

1718 A. Ramsay Christ's-kirk on Green iii. 25 Word gae'd, she was na kanny.

1775 J. Newton Let. 21 Nov. in Lett. to Wife (1793) 175 There is scarcely a house, without some persons ill in it; and the general word is, That they never had such a sort of cold before.

1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. iii. 12 An evil word is gone abroad of me.

1880 J. C. Harris Uncle Remus: Songs & Sayings xix. 89 Word went roun' dat de man Squinch Owl done kotch nudder watzizname.

1908 Times 1 Feb. 9/3 On the Ministerial side of the House not more than 40 or 50 seats were occupied until the word went round that Mr. Morley had risen.

1976 National Observer (U.S.) 10 July 8/3 Word spread that the club was raking in the bucks.

c. With that-clause as complement. Usually with the. Cf. word has it at Phrases 5b.

ΚΠ

a1605 R. Bannatyne Memorials Trans. Scotl. (1836) 235 He was brocht to Sanct Androis and put in waird thair... The word is, that the queine of England hes send for him.

1863 W. Hoffman Monitor xviii. 439 At fifteen minutes to 12 the cry from the prow is again heard; and now the word is that ‘land’ has just been seen in the distance.

1864 G. Meredith Let. 1 June (1970) I. 284 Here the word is that Saturday will do better [for the interview].

1922 Motor West 15 Mar. 16/2 Milton, De Palma, and Murphy are considered strong prospects, and word is that Dario Resta may signalize his ‘come-back’ into racing at San Carlos.

1963 R. Jessup Cincinnati Kid iv. 55 Money is beginning to show for you against The Man, Kid... The word is..that you're good enough to take Lancey, if anybody can.

1982 P. Lovesey False Inspector Dew iv. 153 The word is that the captain will be speaking to us.

2005 A. Gibbons Blood Pressure 75 Dealers. Real pond life. Word is, they're into shooters big style.

†a. Common report in praise or celebration of (the actions of) a person; fame, renown. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > good repute > [noun]

nameOE

wordOE

honestya1382

rumoura1387

recommendation1433

wealc1500

wellc1500

credit1529

repute1598

renowna1616

recommends1623

commendation1631

character1649

merit1752

stock1930

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 192 Þa asprang his word wide geond land.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 127 (MED) Ðo sprong þe word of his holi liflode wide into þe londe.

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 47 Wa is me þet he, oðer heo, habbeð swuch word icaht.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3141 Of hire wisdome sprong þat word wide.

c1330 (?a1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) p. 384 (MED) Þe word of him ful wide it ran.

c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1521 Your worde and your worchip walkeȝ ay-quere.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) iii. l. 252 The worde of him walkit baith fer and ner.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 6^v The word of his werkes thurghe þe world sprange.

b. Scottish. The reputation or character of being, having, or doing what is stated. Sc. National Dict. (at cited word) records this sense as still in use in Orkney, northern Scotland, Lanarkshire, and Wigtownshire in 1974.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > [noun] > for or of being something

nameeOE

repute1539

reputationc1555

attribution1598

attribute1604

word1722

1722 A. Ramsay Tale Three Bonnets i. 7 Rose had a Word of meikle Siller, Whilk brought a hantla Woers till her.

1777 Whole Proc. Jockey & Maggy (rev. ed.) iv. 24 Thou always was wont to get the word of a good rider.

1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. (at cited word) ‘She gets the word o' being a licht-headit queyn’, i.e. it is generally said of her.

1856 D. Pae Merchant's Daughter ix. 235 The Head gets the word o' bein' a place for smugglin', but I canna say that ever I saw ony thing o't.

1862 A. Hislop Prov. Scotl. 198 They that get the word o' sune rising may lie a' day.

1900 C. Murray Hamewith 38 Get the word o' early risin' Ye can sleep a week on end.

6. A command, an order, a behest; a direction, an instruction; an expressed request. Usually qualified by possessive or the. See also word of command n. at Phrases 2d.In to send word sometimes with a mixture of sense A. 4.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > [noun]

wordOE

askc1275

boonc1275

request1395

requisition?a1450

contemplationa1475

regratec1475

requirement1530

interrogation1551

requiry1598

vote1632

society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > a command

wordOE

behestc1175

commandmentc1250

precepta1325

mandementc1325

saw1338

hotea1350

biddinga1400

highta1400

judgementc1405

order1543

imperea1546

command1552

shall?1553

impery1561

mandate1576

mandition1597

imperative1606

fiata1631

mitzvah1723

order of the day1804

hukum1838

prikaz1858

OE Crist III 1629 Hy bræcon cyninges word, beorht boca bibod.

OE Will of King Ælfred (Sawyer 1507) in F. E. Harmer Sel. Eng. Hist. Docs. 9th & 10th Cent. (1914) 18 Ic wille þa menn þe þa land habbað, þa word gelæstan þe on mines fæder yrfegewrite standað.

lOE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judith (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 110 Se ealdorman hi het..þær wunian, oð þæt he hyre word sende.

a1300 (c1275) Physiologus (1991) l. 25 Silden he us wille, If we heren to his word.

a1300 Passion our Lord l. 363 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 47 Alle þat beoþ in soþe i-hereþ myne word, And heo wel atholdeþ.

a1350 (?c1225) King Horn (Harl.) (1901) l. 461 (MED) He wiþ is worde þe knyhty wiþ sworde.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 2 Kings xiv. 23 Þou forsoþe hast don þe woord of þi seruaunt.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 18053 Quen i word herd þat he badd I quok for him.

?a1425 in Neuphilol. Mitteilungen (1969) 70 117 (MED) Þe first word to þe houndis..Is at þe kenel dore whan he opynis hit.

1496 Ld. Bothwell Let. 8 Sept. in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1824) 1st Ser. I. 29 Please your Graice to send me wourd quhat serves or oder thing I sall do.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Luke v. f. lxxx^v Yet nowe at thy worde I wil loose forthe the net.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. clxiiij His worde only ruled, & his voyce was only hearde.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iv. vi. 38 Then euery souldiour kill his Prisoners, Giue the word through.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 106 Vpon the word, Accoutred as I was, I plunged in.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iii. 708 When at his Word the formless Mass..came to a heap: Confusion heard his voice, and wilde uproar Stood rul'd.

1753 Universal Advertiser 17 Mar. (1754) 21 Their Word was Law, and their Opinion Reason.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xxxvii. 270 I rang..to beg my cousins' company. They wanted but the word: In they came.

1803 W. Wordsworth Poems I. 150 O! for a single hour of that Dundee Who on that day the word of onset gave!

1856 C. Dickens Christmas Stories (1874) 50 I gave Rames the word to lower the Longboat and the Surf-boat.

1899 E. Nesbit Story of Treasure Seekers xiv. 262 We all vowed..that we would not touch any of the feast till Dora gave the word next day.

1935 G. Blake Shipbuilders vii. 194 A turnkey..received them into his highly sanitary realm and at a word from the uniformed clerk led them..to the door of a cell.

1990 M. D. Woost in J. Spencer Sri Lanka (1997) viii. 173 The director had sent word that they must put aside their divisions and attend to the work at hand.

a. A promise, a pledge, an undertaking; a guarantee. Almost always with possessive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > intention > [noun] > intention or purpose > expressed

wordOE

pretencea1500

the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [noun] > pledge or assurance

wordOE

costOE

earnest1221

fayc1300

certainty1303

wager1306

plighta1325

pledge1371

assurancec1386

undertaking?a1400

faithc1405

surementc1410

to make affiancec1425

earnest pennya1438

warrant1460

trow1515

fidelity1531

stipulation1552

warranty1555

pawn1573

arrha1574

avouchment1574

assumption1590

word of honour1598

avouch1603

assecurance1616

preassurance1635

tower-stamp1642

parole of honour1648

spondence1657

honour1659

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxxii. 451 Se cyning [sc. Herod]..nolde þeah for his aðe ne for þam gebeorum his word awægen.

OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.i) anno 1014 Man þa fulne freondscipe gefæstnode mid worde & mid wedde on ægþre healfe.

lOE Laws of Wihtræd (Rochester) xvi. 13 Biscopes word & cyninges sie unlægne buton aþe.

a1275 Body & Soul (Trin. Cambr. B.14.39) l. 22 in A. S. M. Clark Seint Maregrete & Body & Soul (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 118 Þi word was false & fikel.

c1300 St. Nicholas (Laud) l. 141 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 244 (MED) Þe schipmen ope truste of is word wel largeliche him mete.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 746 (MED) It sit wel every wiht To kepe his word in trowthe upryht.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 13 He was hardy, wys, and riche..Sooth of his word, benigne and honurable.

a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate Siege Thebes (Arun.) (1911) l. 2047 (MED) Thow art not..Stable of thy word.

c1475 tr. C. de Pisan Livre du Corps de Policie (Cambr.) (1977) 185 (MED) A symple promysse or a worde of a marchaunte shall be trusted.

a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) 11 My word nor I shall not be variable, But alwaies..ferme and stable.

1584 T. Lodge Alarum against Vsurers f. 10 Promising..(so his creditour woulde be his wordes master,) to doo his indeauour to perfourme his will.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 222 Keepe word Lysander.

1631 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. (ed. 2) (2nd state) §c An honest mans word must be his maister.

1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 130 They..did not fly from their Words but stood firmly to what they first proposed.

1799 W. G. Browne Trav. Afr. xxix. 434 An Arab or Turk having once accorded protection..never afterwards withdraws it, and his word may be relied on.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xx. 171 He knew what a savage determined man Osborne was, and how he stuck by his word.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 535 Having solemnly pledged his word..not to attempt anything against the government.

1887 H. R. Haggard She iii No English government goes back on its word.

1902 B. T. Washington Up from Slavery i. 15 The man told me that..he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken.

1983 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 3rd Ser. Episode 5. 174/2 I'll drop the charges against you, you have my word.

2000 I. Edward-Jones My Canapé Hell (2001) vii. 157 The PR had gushed so heavily on the phone that I'd made sure Wendy didn't renege on her word.

b. With possessive: an assertion, an affirmation, a declaration, an assurance; esp. as involving the veracity or good faith of the person who makes it.Earliest in on (also upon) one's word at Phrases 1g(b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > statement > assurance, confirmation, or guarantee > [noun] > involving veracity or good faith of person

word1582

1582 R. Mulcaster 1st Pt. Elementarie iii. 14 Doth not Euripides saie & Phorphyrie vpon his word, that a bodie of presence is best worthie to rule?

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 92 His word is more then the miraculous Harpe.

1730 Let. to Sir W. Strickland relating to Coal Trade 30 The Buyer..must take his Goods unseen on the Seller's Word.

1736 R. Ainsworth Thes. Linguæ Latinæ To call back one's word, recanto, retracto, denego.

1797 A. Radcliffe Italian I. ii. 66 My Lord, you have never yet doubted my word.

1859 H. Kingsley Recoll. G. Hamlyn vi What surety had he that Lee would leave him in peace..? none but his word—the word of a villain like that.

1870 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David I. Ps. vii. 3–6 If we cannot be believed on our word, we are surely not to be trusted on our oath.

1898 Argosy Oct. 566 And think you he will hold a worthless cur's word against mine?

1949 S. Lewis God-seeker lxii. 411 Just because you've been simple enough to believe the word of some mudheel that all the darkies are just animals.

1961 ‘W. Cooper’ Scenes Married Life ii. vi. 100 I had Robert's word for all this.

1988 J. Ellroy Big Nowhere ii. 16 Our friend here takes the word of the fourth estate over the word of a brother officer.

1993 Lloyd's List 9 Feb. 12/8 New regulations would require insurers to prove the accuracy of medical histories instead of relying on their agents' word.

a. A pithy or aphoristic utterance; a saying; a maxim; a proverb. Now rare or merged in sense A. 1.See also byword n. 1, household word n. at household n. and adj. Compounds 2.In quot. c1480: an obscure saying, a riddle.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > saying, maxim, adage > [noun]

saw9..

quideOE

yedOE

wordOE

wisdomc1175

bysawe?c1225

riotc1330

sentencec1380

textc1386

dict1432

diction1477

redec1480

say1486

adage1530

commonplace?1531

adagy1534

soothsay1549

maxima1564

apophthegm1570

speech1575

gnome1577

aphorisma1593

imprese1593

spoke1594

symbol1594

maxim1605

wording1606

impress1610

motto1615

dictum1616

impresa1622

dictate1625

effate1650

sentiment1780

great thought1821

brocarda1856

text-motto1880

sententia1917

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > [noun]

riddleOE

purposec1350

problema1382

propositiona1382

conclusion1393

divinailc1430

opposal?a1439

riddling?c1475

wordc1480

why1532

dark, hard sentence1535

enigma1539

remblere1599

puzzlement1646

gripha1652

puzzler1651

riddlemy riddlemy1652

puzzle1655

crux1718

teaser1759

puzzleation1767

conundrum1790

poser1793

riddle-me-ree1805

stumper1807

tickler1825

sticker1849

brain-teaser1850

grueller1856

question mark1870

brain-twister1878

skull-buster1926

mind-bender1968

OE Wulfstan Gifts Holy Spirit (Hatton) 190 Ac cweþað þæt to worde þæt se bið on geþance wærast & wisast se ðe oðerne can raðost asmeagean & oftost of unwæran sum ðing geræcan.

c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) l. 300 A word þat is isprunge wide: Þat wiþ þe fule haueþ imene, Ne cumeþ he neuer from him cleine [a1300 Jesus Oxf. clene].

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 164 Senec seith a good word doutelees. He seith he kan no difference fynde Bitwix a man that is out of his mynde And a man which þ^t is dronkelewe.

c1440 (?c1350) in G. G. Perry Relig. Pieces in Prose & Verse (1914) 49 Ife þou will be lufely, resayfe these thre wordes with-owtten forgetynge.

c1480 (a1400) St. Andrew 1079 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 94 Gywe [= if] he cane vndo þat worde.

1538 T. Elyot Dict. Verbum, a worde, also a sentence comprised in one worde, a prouerbe.

1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. lxxi. 175 There is no truer word then that of Salomon, There is no end of making many Bookes.

1853 R. C. Trench On Lessons in Proverbs 26 That well-known word which forbids the too accurate scanning of a present, ‘One must not look a gift horse in the mouth’.

1859 T. De Quincey Revol. Greece (rev. ed.) in Select. Grave & Gay XI. 145 It seemed likely..that..Shakspere's deep word would be realized, and ‘Darkness be the burier of the dead’.

1905 W. W. Skeat in Eng. Dial. Dict. VI. 541/1 [Essex] Ah, that was a rare word of your mother's.

1986 J. Phillips Exploring Acts II. iv. 204 He spoke to the multitude calmly, as man to man, knowing well the wise word of Solomon, ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath’ (Prov. 15:1).

†b. A significant phrase or short sentence associated with a particular person, family, etc., a motto; (also) such a phrase or short sentence inscribed upon something. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written text > an inscription > [noun] > motto or legend

reasona1387

wordc1390

posya1450

poesyc1450

pose?1450

legend?a1500

mot1575

motto1589

faburden1594

device1735

c1390 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 138 (MED) Mi word is ‘Deo gracias’.

1431 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 88 My creste, myn armes,..and my word ‘mercy and ioie’.

1532 (a1475) Assembly of Ladies l. 91 in W. W. Skeat Chaucerian & Other Pieces (1897) 383 On her purfyl her word..Bien et loyalment.

1562 G. Legh Accedens of Armory (1568) 42 b The armes of euerye gentleman..with the supporters helme, wreathe, and creast, with mantelles, and the woorde.

1589 ‘Pasquill of England’ Returne of Pasquill sig. Diij The Painter..hath drawne him his word with a Text-pen. Zelus domus tuæ comedit me.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. iv. sig. Q2^v And round about the wreath this word was writ, Burnt I do burne.

a1640 T. Risdon Chorogr. Surv. Devon (1811) (modernized text) §144 159 His word was quid non.

1677 F. Sandford Geneal. Hist. Kings Eng. vi. i. 440 A Cloth of Majesty, with the Vallance fringed accordingly, Inscribed with her Word, Humble and Reverence.

a. In plural. Contentious, angry, or violent talk between persons, verbal altercation, argument, quarrelling.Formerly frequently in phrasal use with particular verbs, as fall to words, grow to words, etc. See also at words at Phrases 1b(c), to have words at Phrases 4d(a).

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > [noun] > noisy or angry quarrel

flitingc1200

chidec1325

bicker1330

janglingc1330

chiding1340

wrangling1377

brawling1393

altercationc1405

words1410

brabblementa1563

wording1564

brabblery1567

bickering1573

jarring1574

bickerment1586

frapling1600

brangling1611

jangle1641

campling1660

frabble1685

collieshangie1737

flickering1776

wranglea1797

brabbling1858

bassa-bassa1956

1410–11 in C. Innes Registrum Episcopatus Brechinensis (1856) I. 31 Eftir syndry altricationis and wordis we bad the parteis ramwif.

1488 in R. Arnold Chron. (c1503) f. lxxxviij/2 [They] had many wordis and argumentis the oon ageynst y^e other.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxv. 222 Whan I se that wordes [be] betwen you, I shall Issu out.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 919 The people fell a whistling lowder then before, and the knights in like manner to clapping of their handes, and so grew to wordes one with another.

1599 H. Porter Pleasant Hist. Two Angrie Women of Abington sig. F3 If that she and I do fall to words, Set in thy foote and quarrell with her men.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) ii. v. 46 In argument vpon a Case, Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me.

1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata To Rdr. 10 So they fell to words and at last (to end this Whimsical controversie) they resolved to kill one another.

1705 L. Spooner Poet. Recreations 47 And so we fell to Words, and thence to Blows.

1786 Mem. Social Monster 188 In fine, they fell to words, and the gentleman..ventured to call him a scoundrel.

1814 F. Burney Wanderer V. x. lxxxvi. 237 The master of the house..said that he could not be answerable for people's falling to words upon the stairs.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxxi. 318 Words have arisen between the housemaid and Mr. Towlinson.

1862 C. E. Wilbour Trial Charles M. Jefferds 142 He stood in the way, and I pushed him out of the way. I went up and got the preserves, and there were some words between us.

1892 W. B. Yeats Countess Cathleen in Plays & Controversies (1924) 235 There had been words between my wife and me Because I said I would be master here.

1913 M. Roberts Salt of Sea vii. 182 My old man said he was a blood~sucker, and that led to words.

1959 M. K. Clark Algeria in Turmoil i. 16 Hussein, it is said, made testy by long fasting, responded to the consul's compliment with an ill grace that led to words.

2003 Press & Jrnl. (Aberdeen) (Nexis) 25 Feb. 3 There had been words between Guthrie and the accused before the attack.

†b. Defamation, libel. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > slander or calumny > [noun] > a libel

libel1521

cartel1590

word1684

scandal1838

1684 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) I. 307 His royall highnesse has brought his action of scandalum magnatum against Dr. Titus Oates for words.

II. Christian Church.In singular, mostly with possessive or the; often in fuller form as the word of God, God's word, etc.

10.

a. A divine communication, command, or proclamation, as one made to or through a prophet or inspired person; esp. the message of the Christian gospel (also the word of Christ, of grace, of life, of the Lord, etc.).

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > New Testament > Gospel > [noun] > message of

wordOE

gospel-truth1647

OE Blickling Homilies 141 Þa semninga astag mycel wolcen on þa ilcan stowe on þære þe we wæron gesamnode, þær we geherdan Godes word.

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xiii. 19 Ælc þæra þe godes wurd [L. verbum regni] gehyrð & ne ongyt.

OE West Saxon Gospels: Mark (Corpus Cambr.) iv. 14 Se þe sæwð, word [L. uerbum] he sæwð.

c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 139 Swa sceal eac þeo sawle libbæn bi Godes wordes.

c1250 in Stud. Philol. (1931) 28 595 (MED) Godes word hit scal hem litte ant bringen hem to heuenric blisse.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 202 (MED) Godes word is ase a uayr ssewere ine huam me yziȝt alle þe lakkes of þe herte.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 2 Kings vii. 4 & lo þe woord of þe lord [L. sermo Domini] to nathan seiynge, go & spec to my seruaunt dauyþ, þese thyngis seiþ þe lord.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Coloss. iii. 16 The word of Crist [L. verbum Christi] dwelle in ȝou plenteuously.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19214 (MED) Vte o þair hali hertes hord Spedli þai speld godds word.

?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 196 (MED) With-oute þe wurde of god þi soule is but dede.

a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) cxviii. §172. 436 My tunge sall shew forth þi worde [L. eloquium tuum].

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark iv. f. xlviij^v As sone as eny trouble or persecucion ariseth for the wordes sake [Gk. διὰ τὸν λόγον], anon they fall.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Acts xx. 32 I commende you to god and to the worde of his grace [Gk. παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ].

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 145 As my sowlle suffereth pacyently wronges..in obedyence of his worde. So I hope to be rewarded after the trouthe of hys worde.

1564 J. Martiall Treat. Crosse f. 83 The lawes of the church (which lawes are the worde off god).

1601 Bp. W. Barlow Def. Protestants Relig. 181 The ministerie of the word is a coadiutor with the Spirite.

1648 T. Shepard Clear Sun-shine of Gospel 12 This old man hath much affection stirred up by the Word.

1653 J. Rogers Ohel or Beth-Shemesh ii. ix. 511 Those that do receive others..into the Church, viz. being full of the Word and Spirit, like fire in the bones.

1731 2nd Add. on Bowman's Serm. 6 Preaching the Word, not triflingly and dully, but with a warmth of affection.

1758 J. Wesley See how Great a Flame iii Sons of God, your Saviour praise!..He hath given the word of grace.

1811 R. Robinson (title) A brief dissertation on the ministration of the Divine Word.

1859 ‘G. Eliot’ Adam Bede III. vi. xlix. 209 Where I used to be blessed in carrying the word of life to the sinful and desolate.

1907 Times 15 July 12/3 They must take good heed that the hymns..were imbued and inspired by the word of Christ in all wisdom.

1927 Abp. R. Davidson Addr. Convoc. 29 Mar. in Church Times 1 Apr. 392/1 Right Reverend and Reverend Brothers in the Sacred Ministry of Word and Sacrament.

1967 Melody Maker 16 Dec. 8/6 Those people who are supposed to be propagating the Lord's word—they're screwing it all up.

1984 S. Terkel Good War (1985) iv. i. 393 I heard the gospel preached in its fullness, and I heeded the word of God and was baptized in Jesus' name.

2002 New Statesman 25 Nov. 54/3 Left to run wild in the back streets of Tokyo in the 1920s, while his parents spread the Word of the Lord to an uninterested Japan.

b. The Bible, or some part or passage of it, as considered to be divinely inspired; Scripture.

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > [noun]

Holy Writc900

writeOE

God's bookOE

writOE

bookOE

Biblea1300

holy lettrurec1330

scripturec1330

the (sacred or holy) writings1340

gospel1393

worda1425

escripture1489

Holy Write1508

theologya1513

the written word1533

Book of God1548

oracle1548

hand biblea1680

good book1740

sacred book1782

the sacred volume1850

bibliotheca1879

Kitab1885

a1425 Of Mynystris in Chirche (Bodl. 788) in T. Arnold Sel. Eng. Wks. J. Wyclif (1871) II. 400 (MED) Alle þes writeris of Goddis lawe hadden autorite of God to be scribis of Goddis word.

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 274 (MED) And speciali that he not drenche al the leiser, which tho men..schulden haue forto reede or heere the word of God.

1553 Proclam. Mary I 18 Aug. (single sheet) Some euell disposed persons, whiche take vpon them..to interprete the worde of God, after theyr owne brayne.

1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1594/2 Gage. The word saith it is his body, before it is eaten. Wood. That wordes would I faine here. But I am sure they be not in the Bible.

1567 W. Allen Treat. Def. Priesthod Pref. They remember well (such is theyr exercise in y^e woord) how y^e disdayne of Moyses & Aarons prelacy ouer y^e people [etc.].

1602 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor iii. i. 41 What the word and the sword, doth that agree well?

a1668 J. Alleine in Life (1838) v. 51 Have not I neglected or been very overly in the reading of God's holy word?

1736 C. Hayes Vindic. Hist. Septuagint Pref. p. iv They alledged that the Hebrew Text..was the only authentic Word of God.

1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 174 Mighty to parry, and push by God's word With senseless noise.

1859 H. Kingsley Recoll. G. Hamlyn xl 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.

1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost i. 7 The word of God declares, first of all, that the Son of God is ‘The true Light’.

1907 H. C. Shelley John Harvard iii. 112 He [sc. Tyndale] quickly discovered that not in London nor yet in all England was there any room for a man to translate God's Word.

1990 Christian Herald 9 June 7/1 Every Scripture is profitable and God would not have placed it in his Word if it were not going to help us.

11. As a title of Christ: = Logos n. Also the Word of the Father, the Eternal Word, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > the Trinity > the Son or Christ > [noun] > as word of God

wordOE

Logos1587

speech1587

OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John i. 1 In principio erat uerbum : in fruma uæs uord.

OE Ælfric Homily (Cambr. Ii.4.6) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1967) I. 399 Se Hælend..is gehaten Word.., and he sylfð [read sylf] cwæð forði þæt seo spræc nære þe he þa spræc to him his sylfes agen spræc, ac is his Fæder spræc, þonne he is þæs Fæder Word.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6692 Go-dess word wass wurrþenn mann. To þolenn dæþ onn eorþe.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 46 Hise word..is hise wise sune, Ðe was of hin fer ear bi-foren Or ani werldes time boren.

c1450 (c1400) Sowdon of Babylon (1881) l. 3 God..That al thinge made in sapience By vertue of woorde and holy goost.

c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) l. 615 (MED) Godus wordliche word, as we wel trowen, Is Sone soþliche of Man.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 103 The endelesse worde of the father, that is oure lorde Iesu cryste.

1567 W. Allen Treat. Def. Priesthod 19 The seruile fourme of our owne nature, ioyned merueilously in one person, to the woorde and eternall Sonne of God the Father.

1656 H. Jeanes Mixture Scholasticall Divinity 86 It was more congruent for the word, the second person to be incarnate..then the first person..or the third.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost vii. 163 And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee This I perform.

1701 C. Cooper Vail turn'd Aside iii. 68 It was impossible that the Eternal word could be changed into Flesh and Die.

1766 A. Nicol Poems Several Subj. 222 The Word made flesh, dwelt on the earth.

1814 H. F. Cary tr. Dante Vision III. vii. 29 Until it pleas'd the Word of God to come Amongst them down.

1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam xxxvi. 56 And so the Word had breath, and wrought With human hands the creed of creeds.

1875 J. B. Lightfoot St. Paul's Epist. Colossians & Philemon 221/2 The Eternal Word is the goal of the Universe, as He was the starting-point.

1920 Biblical World 54 600/1 God has spoken to us in Christ, the Word of the Father.

1987 T. Paulin Fivemiletown 25 Judas and the Word Are stalking each other Through this scroggy town.

2003 G. O'Collins & M. Farrugia Catholicism i. 22 Bringing out the true (bodily and spiritual) humanity of the incarnate Word of God.

III. An element or unit of speech, language, etc.

12. Any of the sequences of one or more sounds or morphemes (intuitively recognized by native speakers as) constituting the basic units of meaningful speech used in forming a sentence or utterance in a language (and in most writing systems normally separated by spaces); a lexical unit other than a phrase or affix; an item of vocabulary, a vocable.Sometimes used specifically to denote either an item of vocabulary in the standard form in which it is generally cited in a dictionary, etc. (e.g. the infinitive of a verb), or this form considered together with its grammatical inflections as expressing a common lexical meaning or range of meanings.

a. With reference to the spoken form primarily or considered together with the written form.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun]

wordOE

diction1416

vocable1440

phrase1552

accent?1553

whid1567

vowel1578

mot1591

accenty1600

quatcha1635

verba1716

verbalism1787

word1825

word1843

dicky1893

vocabulary item1916

monolog1929

dicky bird1932

word-type1936

lexical item1964

lexon1964

OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 5 Butan ðan [read ðam] stafum ne mæg nan word beon awriten.

lOE tr. Alcuin De Virtutibus et Vitiis (Vesp.) in R. D.-N. Warner Early Eng. Homilies (1917) 103 Þu cweðst, ‘Cras’, þæt is Leden word & is on ure þeodan ‘Tomorgen’.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 109 He ne maȝȝ nohht..Onn ennglissh writenn rihht te word. Þatt wite he wel to soþe.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 17 (MED) Þe salme þe hie alle writen is cleped credo, After þe formeste word of þe salme.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 7 (MED) Þis word ‘zeterday’..þe iurie clepeþ ‘sabat’.

a1450 (a1397) Prol. Old Test. in Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Cambr. Mm.2.15) (1850) xv. 57 This word autem, either vero, mai stonde for forsothe, either for but.

c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 201 (MED) What case be þes wordes ‘incolarum’ vel ‘incolis’?

c1475 Court of Sapience (Trin. Cambr.) (1927) l. 1823 (MED) These foure seruyd that Science liberall In wrytyng, pronowsing, and construyng Of letter, sillable, worde, reason.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) 2nd Prol. 7 There ys many wordes in Latyn that we haue no propre englyssh accordynge therto.

1579 E. K. in E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Ep. Ded. This Poet..hath labored to restore, as to their rightfull heritage, such good and naturall English wordes, as have beene long time out of use.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. i. 59 You doe ill to teach the childe such words .

1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxxi. 192 Words..have their signification by agreement, and constitution of men.

1677 J. Dryden Authors Apol. Heroique Poetry in State Innocence Pref. sig. c^v A mighty Wittycism, (if you will pardon a new word!).

1694 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding (new ed.) iii. ii. 223 (margin) Words are sensible Signs necessary for Communication.

a1722 J. Toland Coll. Several Pieces (1726) II. 198 A small crumb of bread is transform'd into the body of Christ by four words of a Mass-priest.

1774 Ld. Chesterfield Lett. to Son I. xlii. 135 We must..not pass a word which we do not understand..without exactly inquiring the meaning of it.

1826 S. Smith Wks. (1859) II. 95/1 Words, in their origin, have a natural or primary sense.

1853 R. C. Trench On Lessons in Proverbs 31 So long as a language is living, it will be appropriating foreign words, putting forth new words of its own.

1875 W. S. Jevons Money (1878) 250 We use a great many words with a total disregard of logical precision.

1910 E. M. Forster Howards End xvi. 138 ‘I receive what I take to be an invitation from these—ladies’ (he drawled the word).

1959 Language 35 275 To every word (i.e. word-type, not each occurrence of the ‘same’ word) in a very long text may be assigned a probability of occurrence.

2006 A. Kuczynski Beauty Junkies viii. 158 She is plump in a manner that suggests neither pleasing nor zaftig nor gemütlich, all those words that suggest fat is pleasant.

b. †(a) As denoting a thing or person: a name, a title, an appellation (obsolete); (b) as expressing an idea or concept: a term, an expression.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun]

nameeOE

wordeOE

clepinga1300

namingc1300

neveningc1300

titlec1390

notea1393

stylec1400

calling?a1425

nomination?a1425

vocable1440

appellation1447

denomination?a1475

vocation1477

preface1582

prenomination1599

nomenclature1610

expressiona1631

denotation1631

appellative1632

compellation1637

denominate1638

nomenclation1638

nominance1642

titularity1643

entitlement1823

compellative1830

cognomen1852

tally1929

denotative1944

anthroponym1952

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > phrase > [noun] > term or expression

wordeOE

terma1398

conveyance1586

epithet1600

terminations1600

notion1655

description1826

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) v. xii. 422 In his þere meran byrig, sio alde worde þere þiode his nemded [read is nemned] Wiltaburg; Galleas nemnað Traiectum.

OE Blickling Homilies 135 Se Hælend cwæþ.., ‘Ic eow sende frofre Gast.’ Þæs wordes andgit is swa mon cweþe ‘þingere’, oþþe ‘frefrend’.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 101 (MED) ‘Adopcioun’ zuo is a word of laȝe.

a1400 Ancrene Riwle (Pepys) (1976) 11 Þe nyne woordes þat men clepen þe nyne ordres of aungels.

1571 Ld. Burghley in E. Nares Mem. (1830) II. 544 (note) Your assured loving friend, William Cecill. I forgot my new word, William Burleigh.

1596 Raigne of Edward III sig. C1 Deuise for faire a fairer word then faire.

1596 J. Harington New Disc. Aiax sig. H4 I doe before hand gyue the worde of disgrace to any that shal so say.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §354 Sulphureous and Mercuriall, which are the Chymists Words.

1678 J. Moxon Mech. Dyalling 48 An Explanation of some Words of Art used in this Book.

1712 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 13 Mar. (1948) II. 513 He dreams of nothing but Cockets, & Dockets and Drawbacks, and other Jargon words of the Custom house.

1781 M. J. Armstrong Hist. & Antiq. Norfolk IX. 83 The village lies in a valley: a great opportunity, or, to use the modern word, capability is afforded from its situation to form canals.

1858 A. H. Clough Amours de Voyage in Atlantic Monthly Feb. 420 Rubbishy seems the word that most exactly would suit it.

1922 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. Oct. 122 A word for the whole range of phenomena is wanted.

2006 Time Out N.Y. 12 Oct. 38/4 This is a true Austrian beisl, the colloquial word for a small, informal bar with food.

c. In contrast with the thing or idea signified.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > element of speech having meaning

wordOE

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 22 Se singð mid gaste, se ðe clypað þa word mid muðe, and ne understænt þæs andgites getacnunge.

OE Ælfric Homily (Trin. Cambr. B.15.34) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1968) II. 503 Bispell getacnað on bocum gelome oðer þing on wordum and oðer on getacnungum.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Job 2nd Prol. 670 Now woordis, now sens, now either togidere shal tellen out.

a1477 Bk. of Curtesye (Oriel 79(2)) (1882) 343 His [sc. Chaucer's] longage was so feyre and pertinent, That semed vnto mennys heryng, Not only the worde, but verrely the thing.

1566 T. Stapleton Returne Vntruthes Jewelles Replie iii. f.61 So children and Parisheclarkes are taught to answer the Priest, knowing well the wordes what he saieth, though not vnderstanding what the wordes meane.

1699 R. Bentley Diss. Epist. Phalaris (new ed.) 189 Wise men take Words for the shadow of Things.

1722 W. Wollaston Relig. of Nature v. 87 This word [sc. nature]..frequently..is used merely as a word.., they who use it not knowing themselves, what they mean by it.

1757 T. Gray Ode I iii. iii, in Odes 11 Thoughts, that breath, and words, that burn.

1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. i. 114 A business of words only, and ideas not concerned in it.

1822 Examiner 723/2 Men are apt to be led away by words.

1827 J. Robinson Archæol. Græca (ed. 2) x. p. lxiii The philosophy of Aristotle is rather the philosophy of words than of things.

1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam lxxiii. 102 What practice howsoe'er expert In fitting aptest words to things..Hath power to give thee as thou wert?

1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law ii. 63 Words, which should be the servants of Thought, are too often its masters.

1876 W. S. Jevons Logic vi. 22 The meaning of a word is that thing which we think about when we use the word.

1898 ‘H. S. Merriman’ Roden's Corner x. 106 ‘You don't take any interest in the Malgamite scheme?’ ‘No,..And I am weary of the very word.’

1912 Times 5 Aug. 7/3 A question of words.

1989 Sci. Amer. Nov. 102/3 Nor is it right to define a concept rather than a word; lexicographic amateurs..tend to confuse the two.

d. A letter or sequence of letters which constitutes the written (engraved, printed, etc.) form of a word (sense A. 12a).Sometimes with reference to the writing of a word as an indivisible unit, e.g. as one or a single word, as two words.four-letter word: see four-letter adj. at four adj. and n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written text > [noun] > written word

wordOE

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > specific written

wordOE

OE Riddle 47 1 Moððe word fræt.

c1405 (c1380) G. Chaucer Second Nun's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 210 Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were.

1450 in A. Clark Lincoln Diocese Documents (1914) 38 (MED) A Masseboke, the first worde of the secund leeff: dei dixit.

1521 A. Barclay Introd. Frenche sig. Bj Whan .P. is wryten in the ende of a worde in frenche.

1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. x. 151 Cause also euery one to spel the words which he hath made in Latine,..so as [etc.].

a1680 S. Charnock Several Disc. Existence of God (1682) 233 Whatsoever we hear is like words writ in sand.

1725 I. Watts Logick i. iv. §1 We convey [our Ideas] to each other by the Means of certain Sounds, or written Marks, which we call Words.

a1832 F. D. Maurice Moral & Metaphysical Philos. in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) II. 556/1 Betokening, as the words inscribed upon their foreheads implied, that they were a dedicated race.

1884 N.E.D. I. Gen. Explan. p. xxiii There are necessarily many compounds as to which usage has not yet determined whether they are to be written with the hyphen or as single words.

1928 Times 8 Aug. 12/3 A circle inset bearing the words around the margin, ‘Produce of England and Wales’.

1951 M. Cowley Exile's Return vii. 284 Two or three sheets of typewritten manuscript, with words crossed out and new lines scrawled in.

2004 Independent 19 July (Review section) 2/2 T-shirts bearing the words ‘You're fired’ have gone on sale.

e. With the, in predicative use.

(a) The right word for the thing, the most apt or appropriate expression; the relevant notion, consideration, or action (in regard to a situation identified in the context).mum's the word: see mum int. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > proper or appropriate word

word1600

1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. v. 48 Bid them prepare dinner? Clowne. That is done to sir, onely couer is the word .

1609 R. Armin Hist. Two Maids More-clacke sig. D^v Gang is the word, and hang is the worst, wee are euen.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) v. v. 247 Come Sir, are you ready for death?.. Hanging is the word, Sir.

1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour iii. i. 24 Bilbo's the Word, and Slaughter will ensue.

1700 W. Congreve Way of World i. i. 13 If Throats are to be cut, let Swords clash; snug's the Word, I shrug and am silent.

1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 403. ¶5 Sharp's the Word.

1794 R. B. Sheridan Duenna (new ed.) ii. 38 Trust me when tricking is the word.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xlviii. 474 Steady's the word, and steady it is. Keep her so!

1854 Hunt's Yachting Mag. May 240 Second working jib and reefed bowsprit was now the word.

1885 W. D. Howells Indian Summer (1886) ii. 16 Lady-like was the word for Mrs. Bowen.

1942 H. MacInnes Assignment in Brittany xxvi. 277 He thought, Masochist is the word. He's made himself read every word of Corlay's diary and poems, and they are eating into him.

1978 J. Updike Coup iii. 121 That's how you got me into this hellhole,..building the no-nations up from scratch. Scratch is the word. Scratch is where you start, and scratch is where you end.

2002 N. Lebrecht Song of Names v. 157 Mabel reached up and put a gloved hand gently on my Adam's apple. ‘Shtum's the word, right?’

(b) In the negative, by litotes: to be an utterly inadequate word (to describe the present case).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun]

wordOE

diction1416

vocable1440

phrase1552

accent?1553

whid1567

vowel1578

mot1591

accenty1600

quatcha1635

verba1716

verbalism1787

word1825

word1843

dicky1893

vocabulary item1916

monolog1929

dicky bird1932

word-type1936

lexical item1964

lexon1964

1843 G. Borrow Bible in Spain III. xvi. 314 ‘Liked them,’ said he; ‘you might just as well ask a person who has just seen the Niagara Falls how he liked them—like is not the word, mister.’

1871 W. S. Gilbert Les Brigands iii. 28 Pri. Well, how do we stand at present. Are we pretty rich? Tre. Rich? Rich isn't the word!

1885 W. S. Gilbert Princess Ida ii Contempt? Why, damsel, when I think of man, Contempt is not the word.

1936 P. G. Wodehouse Laughing Gas viii. 86 Not since the distant days of my first private school had I been conscious of such a devastating hunger. Peckish is not the word.

2001 A. Gurnah By the Sea (2002) iv. 109 He..gave up his time to repentance and prayer and study. Pious was not the word.

f. In (chiefly negative) contexts relating to language proficiency: the slightest amount of a particular language. Frequently in not to speak (also know, understand, etc.) a word of.

ΚΠ

1602 R. Carew Surv. Cornwall i. f. 56 Most of the Inhabitants can no word of Cornish.

1726 J. Barker Lining of Patch-work Screen 155 I hope, there is a Possibility of finding her, because she cannot speak one Word of English.

1779 T. Forrest Voy. New Guinea 8 They knew not a word of the Malay tongue.

1819 Metropolis (ed. 2) I. 222 His loudest applauders were..stupids..who scarcely could speak a word of French.

1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey I. 182 Even the priest, a Bulgarian, did not know a word of Greek.

1900 W. S. Churchill London to Ladysmith 190 Worst of all, I could not speak a word of Dutch..and how was I to get food or direction?

2003 J. Burdett Bangkok 8 (2004) xxvii. 260 I'd never been outside Thailand and I hardly spoke a word of English.

g. Appended to a (frequently capitalized) letter of the alphabet, to denote euphemistically a word beginning with that letter which is coarse slang or otherwise likely to give offence; also used to denote a word which is not itself offensive but is regarded (frequently humorously) as unmentionable or taboo in a particular context.Recorded earliest in F-word n. 1. See also C-word n., N-word n. 1.

ΚΠ

1956 W. E. Collinson in Moderna Språk 50 13 Even today the British printer would draw the line at the f-word used in Lady Chatterley's Lover.

1981 J. Chambers My Blue Heaven 43 You mean... You're really..? (They nod.) The L-word [sc. lesbians]? Lord God, I never met one before.

1991 S. Faludi Backlash Introd. p. xii So many hit songs have the B-word to refer to women that some rap music seems to be veering toward rape music.

1995 Star Ledger (Newark, New Jersey) 12 Feb. i. 2/4 The promised vetoes mark a shift to a more confrontational stance... Press Secretary Mike McCurry said the White House decided to throw out the ‘V-word’ for the first time because [etc.].

2005 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Aug. 179/3 The p-word, ‘prison’, is the great unmentionable.

13. In extended use.

a. Any sequence of letters considered as a discrete unit.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun]

wordOE

diction1416

vocable1440

phrase1552

accent?1553

whid1567

vowel1578

mot1591

accenty1600

quatcha1635

verba1716

verbalism1787

word1825

word1843

dicky1893

vocabulary item1916

monolog1929

dicky bird1932

word-type1936

lexical item1964

lexon1964

1825 Key to Spelling 24 Words of three letters [includes] alc elc ilc..bla ble [etc.].

1977 Verbatim Dec. 11/1 A word is any collection of characters with a space on each side.

1989 New Scientist 21 Oct. 46/1 In chaos theory, we distinguish between different paths by ‘words’ made up of letters. For the pin-ball we write an ‘l’ for a bounce to the left, and an ‘r’ for a bounce to the right.

2004 C. S. Iliopoulos et al. in J.-J. Levy et al. Exploring New Frontiers Theoret. Informatics 267 A string or word is a sequence of zero or more characters drawn from an alphabet.

b. Telegraphy. A sequence of a prescribed fixed number of characters (including a space) in a message that has been coded or redivided for telegraphic transmission. [In quot. 1897 apparently after French mot de convention, lit. ‘conventional word’ (Marquis de Viaris 1888, in Le génie civil 16 June 105).]

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > telecommunication > telegraphy or telephony > telegraphy > [noun] > telegraphic message > word in

word1897

1840 S. F. B. Morse U.S. Patent 1647 2/1 Signs of words, and even of set phrases or sentences, may be adopted for use and communication in like manner.]

1897 J. Nicolson Telegr. Signals ii. 20 Artificial letter-grouping, mathematically called ‘words’, or permutations,..is referred to in a pamphlet by the French cryptographist, M. le Marquis de Viaris..as a substitute for telegraphic codes composed of dictionary words.

1976 R. N. Renton Telegraphy i. 14/2 The ‘telegraph word’ is taken as an arbitrary 5-letter word with one letter-space, making six characters in all.

c. Mathematics. A sequence of symbols in a particular context; spec. an ordered sequence of generators of a group.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > numerical arrangement > [noun] > set > sequence

subsequence1847

sequence1882

word1936

Lucas1953

Cauchy sequence1955

1936 Ann. Math. 37 783 We adopt the convention followed in W. G. relative to true and cyclic words, a cyclic word being a sequence of letters in cyclic order.

1952 S. C. Kleene Introd. Metamath. xiii. 382 A finite sequence of zero or more (occurrences of) the letters, we call a word.

1971 G. Higman in M. B. Powell & G. Higman Finite Simple Groups vi. 212 Any word in the n_i and their inverses determines a partial map of the set of equivalence classes into itself.

1981 Sci. Amer. Mar. 26/1 A lovely ‘pretty pattern’ called the 6-U state..can be reached from the start position by way of the word L′ R² F′ L′ B′ U B L F R U′ R L R_s F_s U_s R_s.

2006 Theoret. Computer Sci. 352 31 (title) Occurrences of palindromes in characteristic Sturmian words.

d. Computing. A consecutive string of bits (now typically 16, 32, or 64, but formerly fewer) that can be transferred and stored as a unit.machine word: see machine word n. at machine n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

society > computing and information technology > data > [noun] > unit of > as word

word length1887

word1946

machine word1954

1946 H. H. Goldstine & J. Von Neumann in J. von Neumann Coll. Wks. (1963) V. 28 In ‘writing’ a word into the memory, it is similarly not only the time effectively consumed in ‘writing’ which matters, but also the time needed to ‘find’ the specified location in the memory.

1964 F. L. Westwater Electronic Computers ix. 140 The basic unit of internal storage is called a ‘word’, which may contain either instructions or data.

1989 J. Gatenby GCSE Computer Stud. i. 4 Mainframe computers typically used in High Street banks, etc., work with 64-bit words.

2003 Daily Tel. 16 Sept. i. 33/1 My company..built the train control software and hardware around a ‘KDN2’ process control digital computer and a Hornby Dublo train set. This computer has only 4,000 words of memory (24 bits each).

B. int.

slang (originally U.S., in the language of rap and hip-hop). Also word up. Expressing affirmation, agreement, or admiration: ‘That's the truth!’ ‘There's no denying it!’ ‘For sure!’

ΚΠ

1981 J. Spicer et al. Money (Dollar Bill Y'all) (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 301 Word.., that's a good record, man.

1985 N.Y. Mag. 3 June 40/2 Just trying to stay out of trouble... Word up.

1986 ‘Cameo’ (title of record) Word up!

1993 B. Cross It's not about Salary 251 Tommy Boy signed it, and here's the House of Pain, word up.

2002 N. McDonell Twelve liii. 133 ‘Yo b, we gonna smoke some mad bowls tonight,’ Timmy says to Mark Rothko. ‘Word, word,’ Mark Rothko agrees sagely.

Phrases

P1. With a preposition.

†a. after the word: word for word, verbatim; = word for word adv. Cf. word after word at Phrases 2a(a). Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > word for word

fro word unto wordeOE

word after wordeOE

word by wordeOE

word in wordeOE

word for wordc1400

after the worda1450

verbatim?1503

verbatimly1587

verbally1588

verbatim et literatim1642

syllabically1654

totidem verbis1659

a1450 (a1397) Prol. Old Test. in Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Cambr. Mm.2.15) (1850) xv. 57 This wole..make the sentence open, where to Englisshe it aftir the word, wolde be derk and douteful.

(a) at a (also one) word.

(i) Upon the utterance of a single word; as soon as a word is spoken; without more discussion or parley; †without further ado, in short order, forthwith (obsolete). Similarly †at the forme (also first) word.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > relative time > immediacy > [adverb]

soonc825

ratheeOE

rathelyeOE

rekeneOE

rekenlyOE

thereright971

anonOE

forth ona1000

coflyc1000

ferlyc1000

radlyOE

swiftlyc1000

unyoreOE

yareOE

at the forme (also first) wordOE

nowOE

shortlya1050

rightOE

here-rightlOE

right anonlOE

anonc1175

forthrightc1175

forthwithalc1175

skeetc1175

swithc1175

with and withc1175

anon-rightc1225

anon-rights?c1225

belivec1225

lightly?c1225

quickly?c1225

tidelyc1225

fastlyc1275

hastilyc1275

i-radlichec1275

as soon asc1290

aright1297

bedenea1300

in little wevea1300

withoute(n dwella1300

alrightc1300

as fast (as)c1300

at firstc1300

in placec1300

in the placec1300

mididonec1300

outrightc1300

prestc1300

streck13..

titec1300

without delayc1300

that stounds1303

rada1325

readya1325

apacec1325

albedenec1330

as (also also) titec1330

as blivec1330

as line rightc1330

as straight as linec1330

in anec1330

in presentc1330

newlyc1330

suddenlyc1330

titelyc1330

yernec1330

as soon1340

prestly1340

streckly1340

swithly?1370

evenlya1375

redelya1375

redlya1375

rifelya1375

yeplya1375

at one blastc1380

fresha1382

ripelyc1384

presentc1385

presently1385

without arrestc1385

readilyc1390

in the twinkling of a looka1393

derflya1400

forwhya1400

skeetlya1400

straighta1400

swifta1400

maintenantc1400

out of handc1400

wightc1400

at a startc1405

immediately1420

incontinent1425

there and then1428

onenec1429

forwithc1430

downright?a1439

agatec1440

at a tricec1440

right forth1440

withouten wonec1440

whipc1460

forthwith1461

undelayed1470

incessantly1472

at a momentc1475

right nowc1475

synec1475

incontinently1484

promptly1490

in the nonce?a1500

uncontinent1506

on (upon, in) the instant1509

in short1513

at a clap1519

by and by1526

straightway1526

at a twitch1528

at the first chop1528

maintenantly1528

on a tricea1529

with a tricec1530

at once1531

belively1532

straightwaysa1533

short days1533

undelayedly1534

fro hand1535

indelayedly1535

straight forth1536

betimesc1540

livelyc1540

upononc1540

suddenly1544

at one (or a) dash?1550

at (the) first dash?1550

instantly1552

forth of hand1564

upon the nines1568

on the nail1569

at (also in, with) a thoughtc1572

indilately1572

summarily1578

at one (a) chop1581

amain1587

straightwise1588

extempore1593

presto1598

upon the place1600

directly1604

instant1604

just now1606

with a siserary1607

promiscuously1609

at (in) one (an) instant1611

on (also upon) the momenta1616

at (formerly also on or upon) sight1617

hand to fist1634

fastisha1650

nextly1657

to rights1663

straightaway1663

slap1672

at first bolt1676

point-blank1679

in point1680

offhand1686

instanter1688

sonica1688

flush1701

like a thought1720

in a crack1725

momentary1725

bumbye1727

clacka1734

plumba1734

right away1734

momentarily1739

momentaneously1753

in a snap1768

right off1771

straight an end1778

abruptedly1784

in a whistle1784

slap-bang1785

bang?1795

right off the reel1798

in a whiff1800

in a flash1801

like a shot1809

momently1812

in a brace or couple of shakes1816

in a gird1825

(all) in a rush1829

in (also at, on) short (also quick) order1830

straightly1830

toot sweetc1830

in two twos1838

rectly1843

quick-stick1844

short metre1848

right1849

at the drop of a (occasionally the) hat1854

off the hooks1860

quicksticks1860

straight off1873

bang off1886

away1887

in quick sticks (also in a quick stick)1890

ek dum1895

tout de suite1895

bung1899

one time1899

prompt1910

yesterday1911

in two ups1934

presto changeo1946

now-now1966

presto change1987

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 284 Þam hundum bebead þæt hi ablunnon þæs rynes... Þa hundas ða stodon æt þam forman worde swilce heora fet wæron gefæstnode to þære eorþan.

c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) l. 114 Þe children hi broȝte to stronde..In to schupes borde At þe furste worde.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 7770 Þen drogh saule his awen squorde And slogh him-self atte a worde.

a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 363 Thes vii sages..bad here lodesman at a word Shuld cast hem ouer the ship bord.

a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 764 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 324 When þe sewer comys vnto þe borde, Alle þe mete he sayes at on bare worde.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 267 If I would not haue taken him at a word, I would I might goe to Hell.

1781 W. Cowper Retirem. 447 A man..Who comes when call'd, and at a word withdraws.

1835 G. Webster Edinb. Lit. Album 198 He..entered with interest into all her Ladyship's benevolent plans. He paid her down at a word ten shillings for the benefit of some case.

1889 Littell's Living Age 10 Aug. 353/2 He..would dash into the river in flood at a word, with his clothes on as often as not.

1936 R. P. Utter & G. B. Needham Pamela's Daughters iii. 49 She is..in such a state of mind and feeling that in an instant and at a word she can change from fancy free to pure unalterable passion.

2007 Southern Rev. (U.S.) (Nexis) 22 Sept. 828 The present age is a storm, And holy men turn warrior At a word.

†(ii) In short, briefly; = in a word at Phrases 1e(a); (in later use more usually) frankly, truthfully. Similarly at few words, at short words, etc. to be at a (also one) word: to be brief; to be honest, to speak plainly; = as good as one's word at good adj., n., adv., and int. Phrases 4e; (also) to stand by what one has said, to have nothing further to say Obsolete (chiefly archaic and regional in later use).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > be concise or brief [verb (intransitive)]

to be at a (also one) wordOE

to make short1556

to be brief1588

abbreviate1596

to cut short1691

to cut (also make) a long story short1732

to make short of long1883

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > [adverb] > in short

at a (also one) wordOE

at few wordsOE

shortly1303

in short wordsc1380

oncec1384

in short and plainc1386

in sum?a1425

at short wordsa1450

at short1513

briefly?1521

in a word1522

in one word1522

with a word1522

summa1535

to be short1544

in (the) fine1545

in few1550

summarily1567

in a sum1574

in shorta1577

in brief1609

briefa1616

in a little1623

tout court1747

sans phrase1808

in a nutshell1822

in nuce1854

OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Corpus Oxf.) iii. xiv. 206 Swa swa ic nu æt feawum wordum secge, be þon þe þa sædon þe hine cuþon.

c1330 Gregorius (Auch.) (1914) l. 962 A Cardinal spac þer among, And seyd schortliche att wordes þre.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales (Hengwrt) (2003) Thopas-Melibeus link l. 11 Pleynly at o word Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a tord.

a1450 (?a1300) Richard Coer de Lyon (Caius) l. 2813 in K. Brunner Mittelengl. Vers-roman über Richard Löwenherz (1913) 235 The Sarezynes..comen afftyr ffaste fflyngyng, At schorte wurdes a gret route.

a1475 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Harl.) (1927) l. 1808a Alisaunder dyed, at worddis short.

1483 Vulgaria abs Terencio (T. Rood & T. Hunte) sig. nij^v Tell me att oon word [L. vno verbo] what thou woldist wyth me.

1553 T. Wilson Arte Rhetorique (1580) 205 All goodnesse (to speake at a worde) goeth awaie.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xxxj ^v He wrote to themperour..repeting the whole action at few words.

1579 A. Fleming tr. Synesius Paradoxe sig. d.iij To be at a worde, such as so deintilie doe dresse their crisped skonse: what are they but effeminate fellowes..and hucksters of their owne honestie.

1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ii. i. 104 Vrsula I know you well enough, you are signior Anthonio. Antho. At a word I am not.

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iii. ii. 294 Go to, I haue spoke at a word, God keep you.

1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 104 At a word, all [names] which in English had Of set before them,..and all which in Latine..have had De præfixed,..were borrowed from places.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) i. iii. 14 I am at a word: follow.

1694 W. Penn Brief Acct. Rise Quakers ii. 45 They were at a Word in Dealing: Nor could their customers many Words tempt them from it.

1780 S. J. Pratt Emma Corbett I. i. 1 To be at a word, will you render it possible for me to call you my son?

a1845 Lady Nairne Caller Herrin' in Lays from Strathearn (1846) i. 6 At ae word be in ye're dealin'.

1846 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 31 Jan. 74/2 To be at a word with you, doctor, we must either tear open or tear down your house, or get him; for get him we will!

1857 T. Martin tr. A. G. Oehlenschläger Aladdin ii. 50 I've no skill in chaffering... Say, at a word, how much you'll let me have, And I will trust you for your honest looks.

(b) at one word: of one mind, in agreement. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > statement > agreement, concurrence, or unanimity > [adverb]

with (also of) one mouthOE

with (also of, at) one accordc1275

common assentc1300

at onec1320

with one stevenc1320

at a voicea1325

at one wordc1325

covinlichec1330

in one (also o) voicea1393

with one (also o, a) voice?a1400

in one vote1546

of all hands1548

perlassent1548

una voce1567

by common consent1574

consentively1578

concordably1579

currently1593

unanimately1599

by or with one assent1611

unanimously1611

unanimely1625

consentingly1660

harmoniously1671

univocally1671

consentaneously1817

concurringly1840

solidly1865

solid1884

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 6812 Boþe hii were at one worde to libbe in clene liue, So þat hii were wiþoute eir.

1982 L. Ó Murchú Little Trom & Little Éadrom xix. 76 Even those of my relatives whom Providence has least endowed with the gift of enthusiasm..are at one word with me on this.

(c) at words: engaged in verbal altercation, quarrelling. Chiefly in to be at words, to fall at words. Obsolete (archaic in later use).

ΚΠ

1462 R. Calle in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 372 Your brother and Debenham were at wordes.

1526 C. Mery Talys f. viii The other agayn said he shuld not, & he agayn said he wold bryng them ouer spyte of his teth & so fell at wordys.

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Altercor Cum patre altercasti dudum, thou wast at words.

1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 190 These Turkish workmen and labourers fell at wordes among themselues, and from wordes to fayned blowes.

1680 N. Lee Cæsar Borgia ii. i. 23 Being in her Bath, And by her Women told we were at words, She ran in haste half naked to the Pope.

1841 J. S. Knowles Old Maids i. ii. 10 How's this?—at words? Thy brother John has been reproving thee, And thou resistest him.

?1850 H. T. Craven Blechington House i. ii. 9 What, friends at words? How's this? Avoid, I pray, The evil omen of a bridal feud.

(d) to take a person at his (also her) word: (a) to accept the literal or apparent meaning of what has been said or stated, esp. as a basis for subsequent action; †(b) to agree to what has been proposed (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > accept as true, believe [verb (transitive)]

ylevec888

leve971

ween971

i-weneOE

takec1175

trowc1175

truth?c1250

thinka1275

believec1300

trustc1325

hold1340

trist1340

to give (one's) faith to (also unto)c1405

accept?c1430

admitc1449

credencea1529

to take a person at his (also her) word1535

credit1547

faith1576

to take a person's word1576

receive1581

creed1596

understand1751

Adam and Eve1925

buy1926

the mind > language > statement > assent > [verb (intransitive)]

ensentc1290

accordc1300

to say yesa1400

senta1400

to say yeac1425

condescend1477

subscribe1531

accede1534

to take a person at his (also her) word1535

homologatea1649

to close with1654

to set one's seal1659

yes1820

yea-say1876

1535 Bible (Coverdale) 1 Kings xx. 33 He sayde: yf he be yet alyue, he is my brother. And the men toke him shortly at his worde,..and sayde: Yee Benadab is thy brother.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) i. ii. 17 Ant. Get thee away. Dro. Many a man would take you at your word, And goe indeede.

1672 J. Dryden Conquest Granada i. ii. i. 15 Old as I am I take thee at thy word, And will tomorrow thank thee with my sword.

1727 Coll. Epigr. cdlxii Take the soft sorrower at her word, and try How deeply rooted woman's vows can lie.

1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews (ed. 2) II. iii. xii. 161 One of the Servants whispered Joseph to take him at his Word, and suffer the old Put to walk if he would.

1800 W. Wordsworth Idle Shepherd-boys in W. Wordsworth & S. T. Coleridge Lyrical Ballads II. 72 James proudly took him at his word, But did not like the feat.

1884 Manch. Examiner 12 May 4/7 Our contemporaries must not be offended if we decline to take them quite at their word.

1907 G. B. Shaw Major Barbara Pref. in John Bull's Other Island 171 Those who pester our police superintendents with confessions of murder might very wisely be taken at their word and executed.

1939 D. Thomas Let. c8 Jan. (1987) 351 As you said it wasn't a call of life & death, we took you at your word and didn't worry.

2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 9 Mar. b3/3 Skilled at not taking patients at their word, Ben inquires further.

c. beyond words: (in predicative use) incapable of being expressed in language, unutterable, unspeakable; (as adv.) unutterably, unspeakably.

ΚΠ

1650 E. Leigh Annot. New Test. 218 Such love, such goodnesse are beyond words.

1686 G. Whitehead Piety promoted by Faithfulness 109 Altho her Body be removed from us; her memory lives in that which is beyond words.

1769 F. Brooke Hist. Emily Montague II. cxi. 173 You and your lovely friend obliged me beyond words, my dear Bell, by your visit of yesterday.

1851 M. Howitt Heir of Wast-Wayland iv. 62 My amazement and indignation at this announcement were beyond words!

1875 Contemp. Rev. 25 800 The style of architecture..is beyond words monotonous, idealess, soulless.

1905 E. Glyn Vicissitudes Evangeline 277 Her tact is beyond words.

1951 S. Sitwell in Sunday Times 22 Apr. 4/6 Mateus is delicious beyond words.

2007 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 10 June x. 18 I know he needs it now, and I am relieved beyond words that it will be happening.

d. too —— for words: —— to such an extent as to render a person speechless, or to defy description or expression in words; (later, in colloquial hyperbolical use) extremely ——, utterly ——.

ΚΠ

a1628 F. Greville Alaham ii. ii, in Certaine Wks. (1633) sig. G2^v Monstrous, incredible, too great for words.

?1655 R. Baron Mirza iv. 111 Too great for words is my vast misery: Small Griefes make men lament, Great stupify.

1725 E. F. Haywood Rash Resolve i. 57 What that Lady felt at so unexpected, so shocking a Relation, was too big for Words!

1815 J. Cottle Messiah xxviii. 489 O'er David's heart angelic rapture steals! Too vast for words, the weight of bliss, he feels!

1859 J. Cross Year in Europe xxxii. 431 The waters of Como, too beautiful for words; and the neighboring Lugano, locked in the embrace of ‘the everlasting hills’.

1891 ‘L. Malet’ Wages of Sin II. v. i. 165 Some of the little silk shifties and night-i-gowns were simply too trottie for words.

1913 Dress & Vanity Fair Nov. 65 New York is beginning to look too smart and clean for words.

1928 E. O'Neill Strange Interlude viii. 289 But for Gordon to..propose marriage—it's too idiotic for words!

1982 A. Maupin Further Tales of City 47 Mary Ann, you were too yummy for words. I watched you on the monitor.

2005 Daily Tel. 12 July 21/3 All this may strike you as too hippy-ish and precious for words.

(a) in a word (also in one word, †with a word): in a simple or short (esp. comprehensive) statement or phrase; briefly, concisely, in short.Now only introductory or parenthetical.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > [adverb] > in short

at a (also one) wordOE

at few wordsOE

shortly1303

in short wordsc1380

oncec1384

in short and plainc1386

in sum?a1425

at short wordsa1450

at short1513

briefly?1521

in a word1522

in one word1522

with a word1522

summa1535

to be short1544

in (the) fine1545

in few1550

summarily1567

in a sum1574

in shorta1577

in brief1609

briefa1616

in a little1623

tout court1747

sans phrase1808

in a nutshell1822

in nuce1854

1522 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1884) V. 160 As much yren stone to be deliveride in one word callid Freretaile.

1573 T. Cartwright Replye to Answere Whitgifte 29 Moses assembled the people, and..in a worde, sate as it were, moderatour in that election.

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 259 Then did wee two set on you foure, and with a worde, outfac't you from your prize.

1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence Andria i. i, in Terence in Eng. 9 Tell me in a word what ist you would with me?

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. iv. 69 His yeares but yong, but his experience old; His head vn-mellowed, but his Iudgement ripe; And in a word..He is compleat in feature, and in minde.

1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. ii. xiv. sig. Q6 To return to my former Studies, and Recreations, and Dyet; and in a word, to my wonted course of Life.

1704 J. Norris Ess. Ideal World II. xii. 496 If you will have in one word a just distribution of each, it is this, that the Idea we see in God, but the sentiment we feel in ourselves.

1780 A. Young Tour Ireland i. 342 I..received assurance after assurance that she would be ready on such a day, and then on another; in a word, I waited twenty-four days before I sailed.

1842 F. Marryat Percival Keene II. ii. 200 I wish you to change your name, and, in one word, I wish Captain Delmar should believe that you are dead.

1892 B. F. Westcott Gospel of Life 13 Man in a word is dependant on that which lies outside himself.

1928 W. A. Pickard-Cambridge tr. Aristotle Topica i. v. 102^a In a word we may call ‘definitory’ everything that falls under the same branch of inquiry as definitions.

1961 E. Heimann Reason & Faith Mod. Society ii. 48 So as to eliminate antagonism, deepen friendly relations all around, and, in one word, make the national interest almost coincident with a moral interest.

2003 H. S. Thompson Kingdom of Fear iii. 330 My weird neighbour..has about 4 percent fat on his body—extremely lean meat, in a word, and more & more likely to activate the body-screecher at any self-respecting International Airport.

(b) in so many words [after classical Latin totidem verbīs totidem verbis adv.; compare so adv. and conj. 37d] : in precisely that number of words; in those very words (now frequently in negative contexts); (later also) in words which fully convey the specified meaning or purport; plainly, expressly; = in terms (see term n. Phrases 1a).In quot. 1670: †word for word (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in so many words

in so many words1580

1580 W. Fulke T. Stapleton & Martiall Confuted v. 178 As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation, but the same must be founde in so many wordes, in scripture, doctor, or councell.

1603 G. Downame Treat. conc. Antichrist ii. xiv. 142 That Antichrist shall openly and in so many words expresly affirme that he is the Christ or Messias of the world.

1670 W. Walker Idiomatologia Anglo-Latina 23 I rendred it even almost in so many words..totidem fere verbis interpretatus sum.

1684 J. Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress 2nd Pt. 17 She told me in so many words, The bitter goes before the sweet .

1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 249 William told us in so many Words, that it was impossible.

1739 P. Doddridge Family Expositor I. xxix. 177 He plainly and directly tells her in so many words, I that am now speaking to thee, am He.

1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 2nd Ser. 69 That the Lord Mayor had threatened in so many words to pull down the old London-bridge, and build up a new one.

1876 W. Marston Hard Struggle 22 Lilian. And did he ask you to Roxbury, dear father? Trevor. Why, not in so many words.

1881 W. Collins Black Robe I. 194 That the object was to bring Romayne and Stella together..was as plain to him as if he had heard it confessed in so many words.

1923 P. G. Wodehouse Let. 25 Dec. in Yours, Plum (1990) i. 32 Of course they haven't accepted it in so many words, but they read the scenario and said it was just what they wanted and agreed to the price, so it is all OK.

1935 Punch 19 June 722/1 If Perry puts a forehand drive into the far corner, right or left, the commentator has to say so in so many words.

1966 K. Williams Diary 6 Apr. (1993) 276 I said ‘It's me you're really getting at, isn't it?’ and he said yes. In so many words he did.

2000 P. H. Wender ADHD v. 95 He should not be allowed to say, either in so many words or indirectly, ‘I'm ADHD—I'm..not responsible for what I do.’

f. of one's word: (postmodifying man, woman, etc.) that keeps one's promises. Similarly †to be master to his word.

ΚΠ

1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Xiiij The people of Crete are lyars,..yet Epimenides may be excepted, & be a true man of his worde, notwithstandyng.

1555 H. Braham Inst. Gentleman sig. Eiij^v The seconde..poynte in a Gentleman..is promes kepyng, as to bee Mayster to hys woorde.

1583 Answeare Def. Censure Charkes Bk. f. 30 Such a commoditie, to bringe thee out of Purgatorie: (For I am sure the Pope is a manne of his woorde) and thou needest not to feare but it is true.

1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore i. sig. H4^v My worthy Lieutenant Bots; why, now I see th'art a man of thy word.

1692 T. Southerne Wives Excuse iii. 31 She's a Woman of her word: You see she has brought Mrs. Sightly along with her.

1792 T. Holcroft Anna St. Ives VII. cxviii. 222 The purpose of this, it appears, was to make him believe the keeper a man of his word.

1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. vii. 122 Hereward is a man of his word, and pays his soldiers' wages royally.

1892 Scribner's Mag. Oct. 451/1 He was known to be a lad of his word for good or evil.

1949 V. Bell Sel. Lett. (1993) 519 I said I'd write to you from Lucca and as you know I'm a woman of my word.

2003 N.Y. Times 11 May 28/1 Mr. Grassley is known as a man of his word.

(a) on (also †in, †under) the word of ——: as guaranteed, undertaken, or assured by (a person of the specified status, as being considered to be of particular authority or trustworthiness). Now rare (archaic in later use).

ΚΠ

1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) ii. i. 22 That the symple parole or worde of a prynce ought to be more stable than the oth of a marchaunt.]

1483 Promisse of Matrimonie The said moost mighty prynces of Fraunce and England in the worde of a prince and on their feythes haue promysed & either of theim hath promised & bounden hym self to thaperfyting therof.

c1503 R. Arnold Chron. f. Cxvij/1 My lorde of winchester..subscribid w^t his hand vndir the worde of presthode to stond at the aduyse ordinaunce and arbitrement of y^e parsons abouesayd.

1526 Reg. Privy Seal Scot. I. 527/2 Our soverane lord promittis fathfullye and on the word of ane kyng, that [etc.].

?1560 T. Norton Orations of Arsanes sig. B.ij Peace & faithful promis of safty giuen in the word of a prince.

1600 F. Hastings Apol. or Def. Watch-word 131 He sweareth purely of his owne voluntarie accord, and absolutelie in the word of a Bishop.

1624 King James VI & I in Jrnls. House of Lords (1771) III. 251/1 I promise you, in the Word of a King, that although War and Peace be the peculiar Prerogatives of Kings, yet..I will not treat nor accept of a Peace without first acquainting you with it, and hearing your Advice.

1693 Remarks Present Confederacy, & Late Revol. Eng. 39 He assures us in the Word of a True Protestant Dutchman, he has the same Religion to defend.

1734 G. Stubbes Dial. Superiority Pleasures of Understanding 124 I engage, on the Word of a Favourite, to..prevent..the Danger of his tasting any forbidden Pleasures of this sort.

1796 G. Colman Iron Chest Pref. p. i No—on the word of an honest man, I have bestowed no small pains upon this Iron Chest, which I offer you.

1868 W. Collins Moonstone I. i. xv. 255 I humoured her. Three and sixpence. On the word of an honest woman, three and sixpence, Mr. Cuff!

1884 H. C. Merivale Florien ii. 44 Ha, ha, ha! Now on the word of a freelance and a true soldier, this is the rarest fellow ever born to smell powder!

1929 G. Atherton Dido 343 If..naught but your presence will turn rout into victory, I will send you forth... That I promise you on the word of a Queen.

(b) on (also upon) one's word (formerly also †of one's word).

(i) In construction with a verb, in sense A. 7a or A. 7b: on the security of, or as bound by, one's promise or affirmation.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [adverb]

under oatha1325

on (also upon) one's faithc1405

faithfullyc1450

on (also upon) one's word1582

sacramentally1599

votally1614

promissorily1650

engagingly1651

obligingly1655

votively1857

1582Vpon his word [see sense A. 7b].

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) iii. xvii. f. 314 Know thy selfe a man, and shew thy selfe a man: and (beleeue me vpon my word) a woman is a woman.

1600 E. Blount tr. G. F. di Conestaggio Hist. Uniting Portugall to Castill 206 If he woulde assure him vpon his word, he would go to the campe.

1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster North-ward Hoe ii. sig. C2^v Doll... Tis but poore fifty pound. Allo. If that bee all, you shall vpon your worde take vp so much with me.

1671 T. Shadwell Humorists v. 70 Madam, upon my word I will not rob you of your Jewel, I freely resign him to you.

1785 R. Cumberland Observer No. 96. §2 [I] took the rascal upon his word without a character.

1824 E. Fitzball Floating Beacon ii. i. 22 The Captain..assured me upon his word, that no one had entered his vessel..for many a long year.

1868 Times 7 Dec. 5/4 Mr. Hains expects us to believe him on his word.

1926 M. West Sex in Three Plays (1997) 52 I'll think it over, old dear. I promise you I will, on my word.

1961 L. Lewis Connoisseurs & Secret Agents 18th Cent. Rome iv. 108 Corsini assured Fane upon his word that nothing of that sort would happen.

1970 Harper's Mag. Apr. 113/1 What the reader must assume..or take on my word, is that Mr. Auden's talk is not merely rich but diamantiferous.

2001 H. Gladfelder Criminality & Narr. 18th-Cent. Eng. 219 Only the outlaw Captain Raymond and the unjustly imprisoned Brightwel..believe him on his word.

(ii) Now chiefly as upon my word (also 'pon my word: see pon prep.). As an asseveration: assuredly, certainly, truly, indeed. In later use also as a simple exclamation of surprise or strong emotion. Now somewhat archaic.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > malediction > oaths > [interjection] > oaths other than religious or obscene > with reference to one's word or honour

by (formerly also for, on, upon) my trothc1225

aplight1297

on (also upon) one's honourc1475

upon my word1591

honour bright1778

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > making certain, assurance > of course, certainly [phrase]

to iwissea1000

mid iwissea1000

in wisc1000

to wis(se)c1000

without(en (any) weenc1175

sans fail1297

thereof no strife1297

but werea1300

forouten werea1300

out of werea1300

without werea1300

without deceit1303

for certainc1320

it is to wittingc1320

withouten carec1320

without nayc1330

without noc1330

without (but out of) dread1340

no doubtc1380

without distancec1390

no fresea1400

out of doubta1400

without doubta1400

for, (in, at obs.), of, to (a) certaintyc1400

withouten stance14..

hazel woods shakea1413

of, on, in warrantisec1440

sure enough?1440

without question?1440

wythout diswerec1440

without any dispayrec1470

for (also of) a surety?a1475

in (also for) surenessa1475

of certainc1485

without any (also all) naya1500

out of question?1526

past question?1526

for sure1534

what else1540

beyond (also out of, past, without) (all) peradventure1542

to be a bidden by1549

out of (also without) all cry1565

with a witness1579

upon my word1591

no question1594

out of all suspicion1600

for a certain1608

without scruple1612

to be sure1615

that's pos1710

in course1722

beyond (all) question1817

(and) no mistake1818

no two ways about it (also that)1818

of course1823

bien entendu1844

yessiree1846

you bet you1857

make no mistake1876

acourse1883

sans doute1890

how are you?1918

you bet your bippy1968

1591 J. Lyly Endimion iii. iii. sig. E3 Of my word, she is both crabbish, lumpish, and carping.

1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. i. 1 Gregorie, of my word [1599 on my word; 1623 A my word] Ile carrie no coales.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. ii. 53 He will seeke there on my word .

1643 Declar. Commons conc. Rebellion in Ireland 52 Upon my word your Lordship is little beholding to him.

1646 in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 308 But of my word she will not meet with the like proffer again.

1682 N. O. tr. N. Boileau-Despréaux Lutrin ii. 182 Yet, on my word the Knave had wit in's Anger.

1707 G. Farquhar Beaux Stratagem v. 64 Let me see your Arm..O me! an ugly Gash upon my Word.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xxxvii. 267 Well but, my dear, you seem to have a long parcel of writing before you: One, two, three, four—Eight leaves—Upon my word!—But Mr. Reeves told me you are a writer.

1767 A. Campbell Lexiphanes 131 On my word, he stands as much in need of it, as Lexiphanes himself.

1836 C. Dickens Village Coquettes i. iii. 35 Squire. (rising.) Flam here! Flam. (aside.) Upon my word!—I thought we had been getting on pretty well in the open air, but they're beating us hollow here, under cover.

1864 A. Trollope Small House at Allington I. xxviii. 287 Butterwell would..say that, upon his word, he didn't think the world so bad as Fiasco made it out to be.

1879 G. Meredith Egoist II. i. 7 I seem to be instructed in one of the mysteries of erotic esotery, yet on my word I am no wiser.

1914 ‘Bartimeus’ Naval Occasions xxiv. 244 Have you any rich aunts, Guns? 'Pon my word, I might get off this afternoon.

1951 C. Hare Eng. Murder ix. 99 Upon my word, sir,..you seem to be taking a good deal upon yourself.

1977 J. P. Donleavy Destinies Darcy Dancer xviii. 262 Upon my word. How irredeemably wretched.

2003 Irish Times (Nexis) 19 Apr. 42 The batsman..sends it to the outfield where, oh, upon my word, a Georgian lady..scoops her hand down and catches in her hand a ball which never existed.

P2. With another noun.

a. word by word: (a) = word for word adv. (formerly also †fro word unto word, †word after word, †word in word); (b) spec. (in alphabetization) taking each word in turn (opposed to letter by letter: see letter n.¹ Phrases 2). Also attributive (with hyphens).

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > [noun] > arrangement in alphabetical order > specific

word by wordeOE

the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > [adjective] > in alphabetical order > specific

word by wordeOE

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > word-for-word

word by wordeOE

word for word?1611

verbatim1834

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > word for word

fro word unto wordeOE

word after wordeOE

word by wordeOE

word in wordeOE

word for wordc1400

after the worda1450

verbatim?1503

verbatimly1587

verbally1588

verbatim et literatim1642

syllabically1654

totidem verbis1659

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > translation > [adverb] > word for word

fro word unto wordeOE

word by wordeOE

word for wordc1400

verbatim1563

metaphrastically1577

literally1591

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) Pref. 7 Ða ongan ic..ða boc wendan on Englisc ðe is genemned on Læden Pastoralis.., hwilum word be worde, hwilum andgit of andgiete.

lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) Proem 1 Hwilum he sette word be worde, hwilum andgit of andgite.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 17 (MED) Ich wille..segge ou þe crede word after word.

1379 MS Gloucester Cathedral 19 No. 1. i. iii. lf. 7 All that I have sayde yn this chapitre Isaac techith word by word.

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 144 The now late named psalmes..ben ouer long to be rehercid word bi word here.

1493 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 308/2 Þe bill of Complaint..of þe quhilk þe tenour folowis word in word.

a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 3187 (MED) Geffray the letters After breke and rayd, For [perh. read Fro] wurde unto wurd.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry IV Introd. f. ii^v Then turnyng hymself to his accuser, [he] declared worde by worde what he had said.

1575 (title) A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered word by word out of his preaching.

1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. x. 151 You are to dictate, or deliuer vnto them word by word, the English of the sentence.

1680 J. Dryden in J. Dryden et al. tr. Ovid Epist. Pref. sig. A8 Metaphrase, or turning an Author word by word, and Line by Line, from one Language into another.

1718 J. Dart Complaint Black Knight 33 I took my Pen with hasty speed to write His sad Complaint, and fix it to Record Near as I could remember Word by Word.

1779 S. Johnson Dryden in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets III. 193 Ben Jonson thought it necessary to copy Horace almost word by word.

1865 J. Ruskin Sesame & Lilies i. 52 The kind of word-by-word examination of your author which is rightly called ‘reading’.

1938 L. M. Harrod Librarians' Gloss. 12 There are two methods [of alphabetization] in use: 1, ‘letter by letter’; 2, ‘word by word’, or ‘nothing before something’. In the former method ‘Newton’ precedes, in the latter it follows, ‘New York’.

1979 Amer. Speech 1976 51 149 This dictionary uses word-by-word rather than letter-by-letter alphabetizing.

2004 Hist. in Afr. 31 484 Le Rwanda ancien was not translated word by word, but sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph.

b. a word and a blow: a brief utterance of anger or defiance, followed immediately by the delivery of a blow, as the beginning of a fight; frequently in extended use with reference to (a tendency to) prompt, sudden, or impulsive (esp. aggressive) action. Sometimes in predicative use, esp. of a person; also attributive, as word-and-a-blow man, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > rapidity or speed of action or operation > with rapid action [phrase] > quickly or promptly > referring to prompt or sudden action

a word and a blow1563

society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [noun] > a fight > sudden

a word and a blow1563

the world > action or operation > manner of action > rapidity or speed of action or operation > [noun] > haste > sudden > one who

a word and a blow1563

1563 R. Reynolds Foundacion of Rhetorike f. xiii This kyng Richard was..of minde vnquiet, pregnaunt of witte, quicke and liuely, a worde and a blowe, wilie, deceiptfull, proude, arrogant in life and cogitacion bloodie.

1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. K2 There entred such a hotspurd plague as hath not been heard of: why it was but a word and a blow, Lord haue mercie vpon vs, and he was gone.

1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. i. 37 Tyb: Gentlemen a word with one of you. Mer: But one word with one of vs? You had best couple it with somewhat, and make it a word and a blow .

1639 J. Clarke Paroemiologia 178 He's but a word and a blowe.

1714 S. Centlivre Wonder v. 77 A Pox take his Fists.—Egad, these Brittons are but a Word and a Blow.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison IV. xxvi. 188 My cousins are grieved [at my going so soon]: They did not expect that I would be a word and a blow, as they phrase it.

1821 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto III xlviii. 27 With him it never was a word and blow, His angry word once o'er, he shed no blood.

1840 F. Trollope Michael Armstrong iv. 92 Mr. Joseph Parsons had a Napoleon-like promptitude of action, which the unlearned operatives described by calling him ‘a word-and-a-blow man’.

1847 G. F. Ruxton Adventures Mexico & Rocky Mts. xxvii. 242 Firm friends and bitter enemies, with them it is ‘a word and a blow’.

1929 Times 24 Jan. 14/3 His business life was spent as a merchant at Blackwall, beginning at a time when a word and a blow were the order of the day.

1931 D. L. Sayers Five Red Herrings vi. 61 Jock Graham—a harum-scarum, word-and-a-blow fellow if ever there was one. Clever, too.

1978 G. A. Craig Germany 1866–1945 v. 156 His [sc. Bismarck's] relations with the Catholics were always at a word and a blow.

c. colloquial. a word in a person's ear: a brief confidential comment or observation.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > message > [noun]

errandc890

bodec1275

bodeworda1325

messagec1325

sendingc1400

credence1424

a word in a person's ear1566

credency1620

intermessage1691

telegram1852

memorandum1899

1566 L. Wager Life & Repentaunce Marie Magdalene sig. E.iii I pray you let me haue a worde in your eare.

1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing iv. ii. 27 Come you hither sirra, a word in your eare sir.

1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 457 (1713) VI. 343 Every one of my Customers will be very well pleased with me, when he considers that every Piece of News I send him is a Word in his Ear, and lets him into a Secret.

1770 R. Cumberland Brothers ii. iii. 17 Mr. Paterson! hist, Mr. Paterson! a word in your ear, sweet Sir.

1838 C. Dickens Let. 25 Jan. (1965) I. 360 A word in your ear. Macready objected to Talfourd's play.

1921 J. Buchan Path of King iv. 84 And a word in your ear, my lord. The Ilkhan permits few to cross his eastern marches.

1950 Times 22 Sept. 6/6 But here a word in your ear: the reconstructed stage of La Scala has many more trapdoors than has our old opera house.

2000 S. McKay Northern Protestants 360 He got a council house for his family in the new White City estate in Dungannon, after a word in the ear of a Unionist councillor.

word of command n. a word or short phrase uttered to a body of soldiers, a draught animal, etc., as an order for some particular movement or action.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military organization > orders > [noun] > word of command

word of command1611

society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > a command > word of

word of command1611

1611 in Lawes Colony Virginea Britannia (1612) 87 He shal be carefull to obserue al words of command, postures and actions, according to the order of training published by the marshall.

1684 R. Howlett School Recreat. 45 Keep..your Musket hard against your Shoulder after you have fired, till the next Word of Command.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vii. 135 I have seen this whole Body of Horse upon a Word of Command draw their Swords at once.

1796 W. Moss Liverpool Guide 38 The Carters..can make them [sc. their horses] go to the right or the left, backward or forward by the word of command, with as much precision as a regiment of soldiers.

1853 J. H. Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 66/1 The orders..for certain motions, manœuvres, or evolutions, are called the ‘word of command’.

1939 F. Thompson Lark Rise vii. 141 His bear..shouldered the pole and did exercises at his word of command.

1950 L. G. Green In Land of Afternoon ix. 132 One expert driver..encourages his mules by yelling the principal parts of Greek verbs... The word of command ‘Proot!’..is more commonly heard.

1991 T. Mo Redundancy of Courage (1992) xii. 129 Our guys opened up simultaneously without a word of command, banging away freely with their g3s.

word of honour n. an affirmation or promise by which one pledges one's honour or good faith; a solemn promise or assurance.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [noun] > pledge or assurance

wordOE

costOE

earnest1221

fayc1300

certainty1303

wager1306

plighta1325

pledge1371

assurancec1386

undertaking?a1400

faithc1405

surementc1410

to make affiancec1425

earnest pennya1438

warrant1460

trow1515

fidelity1531

stipulation1552

warranty1555

pawn1573

arrha1574

avouchment1574

assumption1590

word of honour1598

avouch1603

assecurance1616

preassurance1635

tower-stamp1642

parole of honour1648

spondence1657

honour1659

1598 H. Roberts Honours Conquest sig. Q4^v Y^e knight commanded them to cease their crueltie, promising on his word of honour, that no man should doo him wrong, but hee would protect him.

1645 W. Prynne Hidden Workes Darkenes 24 Concerning the security against the Divorce, they are to relye on the Kings and Princes word of honour.

1745 D. Hume Let. 27 Nov. (1932) I. 77 He gave Mr Vincent his Word of Honour before me that till within a few days, he did not so much as know I was of the same Opinion with himself.

1770 J. Otis in W. Tudor Life J. Otis (1823) 476 My humble North American word of honour for it, my lord, these volumes will hurt neither thee, nor thy master.

1814 D. H. O'Brien Narr. Captiv. & Escape 65 They suspected we were deserters... We assured them upon our word of honour, they were very much mistaken.

1896 E. Thompson in Monthly Packet Christmas No. 97 He had passed his word of honour..that he would report himself at the fort.

1946 E. O'Neill Iceman Cometh i. 48 I give you my word of honor as an officer and a gentleman, you shall be paid tomorrow.

2002 H. V. Bowen in S. Akita Gentlemanly Capitalism, Imperialism & Global Hist. ii. 41 The form taken by such arrangements was entirely based upon a gentleman's social standing and his word of honour.

f. a word to the wise: see wise adj. 6c.

P3. With modifying adjective or determiner.

a. of few words: not given to lengthy speaking, or to much speech; taciturn; laconic.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > taciturnity or reticence > [adjective]

unspeakinga1382

speechless1390

mutec1400

dumb1406

silenta1425

peaceablec1425

secretc1440

of few wordsa1500

tongue-tied1529

mum1532

closec1540

strait-laced1546

tongue-dumb1556

incommunicable1568

sparing1568

inconversable1577

retentive1599

wordless1604

mumbudget1622

uncommunicable1628

monastica1631

word-bound1644

on (also upon) the reserve1655

strait-mouthed1664

oyster-like1665

incommunicative1670

mumchance1681

speechless1726

taciturnous1727

tongue-tacked1727

monosyllabic1735

silentish1737

untalkative1739

silentious1749

buttoned-up1767

taciturn1771

close as wax1772

untittletattling1779

reticent1825

voiceless1827

say-nothing1838

unremonstrant1841

still1855

unvocal1858

inexpansive186.

short-tongued1864

non-communicating1865

tight-lipped1876

unworded1886

chup1896

tongue-bound1906

shut-mouthed1936

zip-lipped1943

shtum1958

a1500 (c1425) Andrew of Wyntoun Oryg. Cron. Scotl. (Nero) v. 3541 Off wordis fewe [a1500 Wemyss off few wordis] and mylde of mude.

a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 175 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 100 Off fewe wordis full wyss and worthy yai war.

1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer i. sig. E.iij Of few wordes, and no bragger.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iii. ii. 38 That men of few Words are the best men.

1697 London Gaz. No. 3260/4 Well set and middle sized, and of few Words.

1759 W. H. Dilworth Life of Pope 120 [Gay] had always been a man of but few words.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxiv. 252 Mr. Dubbley, who was a man of few words, nodded assent.

1880 Jrnl. Amer. Geogr. Soc. N.Y. 12 165 The people [sc. of Iceland] are represented as of few words, but truthful.

1956 Biogr. Mem. Fellows Royal Soc. 2 123 Fleming was a man of few words—and ideas did not greatly interest him.

2000 J. Brannen et al. Connecting Children ii. 35 Barry, a white boy of few words who lived in a step family, simply said: ‘It's bad for the kids.’

b. half a word: a very short utterance, a slight fragment of speech or conversation.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken > short

a wordc1405

half a word1562

a couple of words1589

a few well-chosen words1854

1562 A. Brooke tr. M. Bandello Tragicall Hist. Romeus & Iuliet 63 The simple mother was, rapt in to great delight, Not halfe a word could she bring forth.

a1566 R. Edwards Damon & Pithias (1571) sig. B ii Of halfe a worde, he can make a Legend of lies.

1657 H. Oldenburg Let. 12 Sept. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) I. 239 I beseech you, Sir, to favor me with acquainting me with the progresse of this busines... Half a word, or a word used per antiphrasin..will be enough.

1700 T. Brown Amusem. Serious & Comical iii. 19 Taking it for granted, that we two understand one another by half a Word.

1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Family II. 222 Henry..was, moreover, of so violent and inflammable a temper, that half a word was sufficient..to set his blood boiling.

1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. vi. 48 Might I have half a word with you?

1917 Jrnl. Philos., Psychol. & Sci. Methods 14 347 I left my argument to the judgment of those for whom half a word is more than enough.

1999 Wisconsin State Jrnl. (Nexis) 17 June One has to be very careful with what one says. If it's about interest rates, I can mutter half a word and it's on every wire service.

(a) last words: the final utterance of a person before death. Seven Last Words: the seven utterances of Christ on the cross (also Seven Words).famous last words: see famous adj. 1c. [The tradition of the collection of the Seven Last Words dates back to at least the 12th cent.: compare post-classical Latin de septem verbis (c1156 in a work title). The sayings have also been the subject of a number of musical compositions, e.g. Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (?1645) by Heinrich Schütz, and Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze (1787) by Joseph Haydn.]

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > [noun] > death throes > final words during

last wordsc1426

the world > life > death > [noun] > death throes > final words during > of Christ

Seven Last Wordsc1426

c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 58 O Ihesu Crist hongyng on cros, Vij wordis þou saydest with myld voys Vnto þe Fader of heuen.

1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 432/1 He comyng to the last houre,..and profferyng the laste wordes I commend my sowle in to thyn handes deyed.

1521 R. Copland tr. St. Edmund Rich Myrrour of Chyrche f. 27 Ye shall here thynke on y^e vii. wordes y^t he spake on y^e crosse.

1534 W. Marshall tr. Erasmus Playne & Godly Expos. Commune Crede vi. f. 141 With his laste wordes praying for them by whome he was put on the crosse.

1596 in Spalding Club Misc. I. 88 James Low..said, in his last wordis, befoir he gef wp his braitht [etc.].

1602 C. Sutton Disce Vivere xxvii. 492 Let vs hear him..in his seauen last wordes vttered vpon the Crosse.

1692 H. Harrison (title) The Last Words of a Dying Penitent.

?1723 T. Cibber Henry VI ii. 14 To prove this true, read the last Words of Mortimer, Who dy'd in Prison in your Minor Days.

1781 H. Croft Young in S. Johnson Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets X. 84 In the third Letter is described the death-bed of the gay, young, noble,..and most wretched Altamont. His last words were—[etc.].

1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. III. 179 He..read over..the ‘last words’ of his adored Fanny, till the blood thrilled in his veins.

1870 tr. Bellarmino (title) The Seven Words from the Cross [L. de septem verbis a Christo in cruce prolatis].

1874 E. King (title) Meditations on the last seven words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1933 ‘L. G. Gibbon’ Cloud Howe i. 43 His last words were, so the story went, ‘And what might the feare's prices be to-day?’

1955 O. Fals-Borda Peasant Society Columbian Andes xiv. 218 On Good Friday, after the traditional Sermon of the Seven Last Words, there is an elaborate procession.

2007 Daily Tel. 1 May 30/3 In November, 1916, he was killed on the Somme where..his last words were, ‘Put that bloody cigarette out.’

(b) the last word.

(i) The final statement, pronouncement, or decision in a dispute (esp. in to have the last word). Also more generally: the final utterance in a conversation.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > final utterance in a conversation

the last word1509

conversation stopper1959

1509 tr. A. de la Sale Fyftene Ioyes of Maryage (de Worde) (new ed.) iii. sig. C.vij^v Alwaye with me the last worde [Fr. la derreniere parolle] shall remayne.

1541 Schole House of Women sig. A.ii^v These women be, so sensuall That by theyr reason, not worth a torde Yet wyll the woman, haue the last worde.

1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1416/2 My lorde of Lincolne..sayde that thou were a frantike felow, and a man that wyll haue the last worde.

a1637 B. Jonson Tale of Tub i. i. 60 in Wks. (1640) III Hee will ha' the last word, though he talke Bilke for 't.

1673 J. Dryden Marriage a-la-Mode iv. iii. 60 The Boy's resolv'd to have the last word.

1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews II. iv. viii. 232 She had always the last Word every where but at Church.

1775 R. B. Sheridan St. Patrick's Day i. ii It is very unbecoming in you to want to have the last word with your Mamma.

1825 Gentleman's Mag. 45 i. 334 Though Mr. Bowles may affix the term ‘final’ to his Appeal, we have some doubt whether he will be permitted to have the last word.

1880 A. Trollope Duke's Children I. xxvi. 306 He was gifted with that peculiar power which enables a man to have the last word in every encounter.

1974 Times 5 Feb. 4/5 The last word went to Mr Walter McCrone, whose firm released the evidence..that the ink used on the map was not developed until after 1920.

2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 20 Aug. iv. 5/2 A district court decision could well have the last word.

(ii) The final or conclusive statement, after which there is no more to be said; (in extended use) the ultimate form or expression of something, the finest, most advanced, or most fashionable specimen, the ‘latest thing’ (also the latest word).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > completing > [noun] > that which > concluding action, utterance, etc. > conclusive act, utterance, etc.

clincher1737

settler1744

dernier mot1834

the last word1842

the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > end or conclusion > [noun] > the very end

last end?c1225

the farc1540

the far endc1540

faga1627

the last word1842

the end of the road1954

endsville1962

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > [noun] > final or definitive statement

categorica1734

the last word1842

1842 Times 14 Mar. 4/4 The question upon which Lord Aberdeen was supposed to have said the last word (the retention of their conquests in Africa by the French) was re-opened on Thursday by M. Guizot.

1852 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 10 July 110/2 Hector Berlioz, by some regarded as the last word in musical composition.

1881 S. Colvin Pref. to Select. Landor's Writings (1882) 6 Concerning this part of Landor's work,..Mr. Swinburne has in those two felicitous lines said the last word.

1888 Daily News 21 Sept. 5/6 The long mantles that are the latest ‘word’ of Paris fashions.

1934 A. Huxley Beyond Mexique Bay 2 The last word in cocktail bars and peach-pink sanitary fittings.

1949 O. Renier tr. P. Geyl Napoleon ii. iii. 45 For a generation Thiers's was the last word on the subject, and his book overshadowed that of Lefebvre.

1989 P. Horowitz & W. Hill Art of Electronics (ed. 2) xiii. 904/1 GaAs FETs. The latest word in simple microwave amplifiers.

2004 Time Out 25 Aug. (Carnival Guide) 68/1 Simon Finch's rare books are the last word in coffee-tabletop cool.

d. of many words: given to much speech, or to speaking at length (frequently in negative contexts: cf. of few words at Phrases 3a); †(of a statement, etc.) wordy, prolix (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > [adjective]

wordyeOE

talewisec1200

i-worded?c1225

babblinga1250

cacklinga1250

chatteringa1250

speakfula1250

word-wooda1250

of many wordsc1350

janglingc1374

tatteringc1380

tongueya1382

ganglinga1398

readya1400

jargaunt1412

talkative1432

open-moutheda1470

clattering1477

trattling?a1513

windy1513

popping1528

smatteringa1529

rattle?1529

communicablea1533

blab1552

gaggling1553

long-tongued?1553

prittle-prattle1556

pattering1558

talking1560

bobling1566

gabbling1566

verbal1572

piet1573

twattling1573

flibber gibber1575

babblative1576

tickle-tongued1577

tattling1581

buzzing1587

long-winded1589

multiloquous1591

discoursive1599

rattling1600

glib1602

flippant1605

talkful1605

nimble-tongued1608

tongue-ripe1610

fliperous1611

garrulous?1611

futile1612

overspeaking1612

feather-tongueda1618

tongue-free1617

long-breatheda1628

well-breathed1635

multiloquious1640

untongue-tied1640

unretentive1650

communicative1651

linguacious1651

glibbed1654

largiloquent1656

multiloquent1656

parlagea1657

loose-clacked1661

nimble-chop1662

twit-twat1665

over-talkativea1667

loquacious1667

loudmouth1668

conversable1673

gash1681

narrative1681

chappy1693

apposite1701

conversative1703

gabbit1710

lubricous1715

gabby?1719

ventose1721

taleful1726

chatty?1741

blethering1759

renable1781

fetch-fire1784

conversational1799

conversant1803

gashing1808

long-lunged1815

talky1815

multi-loquacious1819

prolegomenous1822

talky-talky1831

nimble-mouthed1836

slipper1842

speechful1842

gassy1843

in great force1849

yattering1859

babbly1860

irreticent1864

chattable1867

lubrical1867

chattery1869

loose-mouthed1872

chinny1883

tongue-wagging1885

yappy1909

big-mouthed1914

loose-lipped1919

ear-bashing1945

ear-bending1946

yackety-yacking1953

nattering1959

yacking1959

woofy1960

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose

wordyOE

of many wordsc1350

windya1382

diffused?a1475

word-dearthing1593

verbosious1601

worded1602

wordish1604

diffuse1612

wording1615

diffusive1624

verbose1665

baggy1866

talky1937

waffling1945

c1350 How Good Wife taught her Daughter (Emmanuel) (1948) l. 42 Be noȝt of mani wordes.

1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1438/1 This diffinition is of many wordes to no purpose.

1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing i. i. 150 I thanke you, I am not of many wordes, but I thanke you.

1724 T. Salmon Char. Several Noblemen 111 He was not a Man of many Words.

1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility II. xii. 226 She was not a woman of many words .

1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross I. iii. 38 Augustus Barnington,..not being a man of many words, contented himself by stammering something about honour.

1903 Times 30 Sept. 9/5 He was not an orator or a man of many words, but he was genuinely affected by the consideration the Livery had extended to him that day.

2007 Calgary (Alberta) Sun (Nexis) 10 Oct. sp 3 Typically a man of many words, Craig Conroy only needed one to describe how he felt the last time his club played in Detroit.

e. my word (esp. as an exclamation) = upon my word at Phrases 1g(b)(ii).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection]

whatOE

well, wellOE

avoyc1300

ouc1300

ay1340

lorda1393

ahaa1400

hillaa1400

whannowc1450

wow1513

why?1520

heydaya1529

ah1538

ah me!a1547

fore me!a1547

o me!a1547

what the (also a) goodyear1570

precious coals1576

Lord have mercy (on us)1581

good heavens1588

whau1589

coads1590

ay me!1591

my stars!a1593

Gods me1595

law1598

Godso1600

to go out1600

coads-nigs1608

for mercy!a1616

good stars!1615

mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616

gramercy1617

goodness1623

what next?1662

mon Dieu1665

heugh1668

criminy1681

Lawd1696

the dickens1697

(God, etc.) bless my heart1704

alackaday1705

(for) mercy's sake!1707

my1707

deuce1710

gracious1712

goodly and gracious1713

my word1722

my stars and garters!1758

lawka1774

losha1779

Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784

great guns!1795

mein Gott1795

Dear me!1805

fancy1813

well, I'm sure!1815

massy1817

Dear, dear!1818

to get off1818

laws1824

Mamma mia1824

by crikey1826

wisha1826

alleleu1829

crackey1830

Madonna mia1830

indeed1834

to go on1835

snakes1839

Jerusalem1840

sapristi1840

oh my days1841

tear and ages1841

what (why, etc.) in time?1844

sakes alive!1846

gee willikers1847

to get away1847

well, to be sure!1847

gee1851

Great Scott1852

holy mackerel!1855

doggone1857

lawsy1868

my wig(s)!1871

gee whiz1872

crimes1874

yoicks1881

Christmas1882

hully gee1895

'ullo1895

my hat!1899

good (also great) grief!1900

strike me pink!1902

oo-er1909

what do you know?1909

cripes1910

coo1911

zowiec1913

can you tie that?1918

hot diggety1924

yeow1924

ziggety1924

stone (or stiffen) the crows1930

hullo1931

tiens1932

whammo1932

po po po1936

how about that?1939

hallo1942

brother1945

tie that!1948

surprise1953

wowee1963

yikes1971

never1974

to sod off1976

whee1978

mercy1986

yipes1989

the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > exclamation of wonder [interjection]

ahaa1400

ocha1522

heydaya1529

ah1538

ah me!a1547

fore me!a1547

o me!a1547

gossea1556

ay me!1591

o (also oh) rare!1596

law1598

strangec1670

lack-a-day1695

stap my vitals1697

alackaday1705

prodigious1707

my word1722

(by) golly1743

gosh1757

Dear me!1805

Madre de Dios1815

Great Jove!1819

I snum1825

crikey1826

my eye1826

crackey1830

snakes1839

Great Scott1852

holy mackerel!1855

whoops1870

this beats my grandmother1883

wow1892

great balls of fire1893

oo-er1909

zowiec1913

crimes1929

yowa1943

wowee1963

Madre mia!1964

yikes1971

whee1978

chingas1984

1722 A. Philips Briton ii. iii. 14 He loves thee, Gwendolen:—My word, he does.

1821 London Mag. June 658/2 When the New Town Christeners had exhausted their Georges and Charlottes and Fredericks and Hanovers, (and, my word, they did extend the royalty).

1841 E. C. Gaskell Lett. (1966) 44 My word! authorship brings them in a pretty penny.

1857 F. Locker London Lyrics 72 Half London was there, and, my word, there were few..But envied Lord Nigel's felicity.

1874 A. Trollope Harry Heathcote ii. 49 ‘You dropped the match by accident?’ ‘My word, no. Did it o' purpose to see.’

1932 P. Hamilton Siege of Pleasure ii. 62 in Twenty Thousand Streets under Sky (1935) ‘My word!’ said Violet. ‘You didn't half give me a turn.’

1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 43 My word, how we did dress up in those days!

2004 G. Woodward I'll go to Bed at Noon xiii. 237 ‘That's an old Vincent,’ said Janus Brian, ‘my word. Haven't seen one of those for years’.

f. in other words: in words which express the same idea differently; esp. as a parenthesis (= that is to say at say v.¹ and int. Phrases 2a).

ΚΠ

1531 tr. E. Fox et al. Determinations Moste Famous Vniuersities iv. f. 71^v Whiche in other wordes is as moche to say that no persone..can haue forgyuenes of his synne by any maner of almes.

1622 F. Rous Dis. of Time ii. 23 To aske this question of that highest Wisedome, Hast thou made al men for nought? or in other words, Hast thou beene wise in making Man to no purpose?

1631 T. Heywood Fair Maid of West: 2nd Pt. i. sig. B2 A foolish proverbe we use in our countrey, which to give you in other words, is as much as to say, You have hit the naile on the head.

1709 G. Berkeley Ess. New Theory of Vision §157. 184 This Smoothness and Uniformity, or, in other Words, this Plainness of the Picture, is not perceiv'd immediately by Vision.

1789 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. xvi. p. ccxv By causing operations to be performed which ought not to be performed; in other words, by misdirecting them.

1847 A. Helps Friends in Council I. i. viii. 124 All this is what I have often heard you say yourself in other words.

1863 E. V. Neale Analogy Thought & Nature 205 We must conclude consciousness to belong to thought as thought. In other words thought is conscious of itself.

1903 Daily Chron. 10 Dec. 6/7 What is wanted is first a human clearing house, or, in other words, compulsory examination of all immigrants.

1989 B. Paris Louise Brooks ii. xv. 353 Louise's sexual abandon, in other words, was selective.

2006 N.Y. Times Mag. 5 Nov. 22/2 Bamboo has the vague aura of being green-friendly but not too crunchy—trendy, in other words.

g. Ten Words: the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue. [Compare post-classical Latin verba decem, decem verba (Vulgate).]

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > Old Testament > [noun] > Mosaic dispensation > decalogue

lawc1000

Ten WordsOE

Ten Commandmentsc1280

the ten preceptsa1325

Decalogue1382

testimony1535

command1608

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xii. 114 Þa awrat se ælmihtiga god him twa stænene wexbredu mid his agenum fingre, on ðam wæron awritene tyn word, þæt sind tyn ælice beboda.

a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Deut. iv. 13 The ten wordis [L. decem verba] that he wroot in the two stonen tablis.

?1549 J. Hooper Declar. 10 Commandm. i. sig. B iii^v What so ouer is sayde or wroten by the Prophetes Christ or the Aposteles it is none other thing but the interpretacion and exposition of these ten wordes or ten commaundementes.

1641 H. L'Estrange Gods Sabbath 59 If this Commandment injoyneth now no particular and set time under the Gospel, then..God hath lost one of his ten words.

1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Exod. xx. 17) 63 These ten words written by God himself.

1705 tr. J. D'Outrein Short Scheme Divine Truths xvi. 174 Q. Why does the Spirit of God call these Words the ten Words,..and not rather the Ten Commandments? A. Because they contain not only Precepts and Prohibitions, but also Promises.

1882 Hebrew Student May 3/1 We..presuppose..that a Mosaic Tora lies at the foundation of the Pentateuch, and that this Mosaic Tora consists of more than the ten words of the Decalogue.

1884 S. Cox Miracles 18 The fundamental moralities of the ‘Ten Words’.

1916 H. T. Fowler Orig. & Growth Hebrew Relig. ii. 34 It has been recently argued in favor of the Mosaic character of the ‘Ten Words’ that there was no favorable opportunity for the replacing of any earlier contents of the ark by such tables between the time of Moses and the time of written reference to the tables in the ark.

1995 L. Jacobs Jewish Relig. 116 Decalogue, the ten words, better known as the Ten Commandments, given by God to the people of Israel at Sinai.

P4. With a verb.

a. to get a word in (also to get in a word): to make a contribution to a discussion or conversation; to have a chance to speak. Frequently in negative contexts.to get a word in edgeways: see edge-ways adv. 2b.

ΚΠ

a1774 R. Fergusson Poet. Wks. (1799) 144 Had sae, and lat me get a word in.

1835 H. C. Robinson Diary 12 Nov. (1967) 143 Rogers..said in his sneering way: ‘Can Mrs. Masquerier get in a word?’

1848 E. C. Gaskell Mary Barton II. vi. 101 A fine fellow enough, only too much of a talker; I could hardly get a word in, he cut me so short.

1883 R. L. Stevenson Treasure Island I. i. vi. 48 You are so..hot-headed and exclamatory that I cannot get a word in.

1929 A. L. Rowse Diary 28 Mar. (2003) 40 He started to talk immediately and went on and on, until I thought I should never get a word in.

1987 B. Duffy World as I found It (1990) 14 The discussion between Wittgenstein and the speaker grew so heated he couldn't get a word in.

2006 Racing Post (Nexis) 20 Sept. 8 Trainers listen to [him], and not only because he never pauses long enough for them to get a word in.

b. to get a word out of: to persuade to speak. Chiefly in negative contexts.

ΚΠ

1700 T. Brown et al. tr. P. Scarron Novels ii. 36 in tr. P. Scarron Whole Comical Wks. Don Rodrigo repair'd to his companion, who cou'd not get a word out of him, so much confounded he was at the unhappy Dilemma wherein he found himself.

1788 C. Smith Emmeline I. iii. 36 Mounseer won't be able to get a word out of her.

1857 Times 2 Mar. 11/5 I spoke to him, but could scarcely get a word out of him.

1889 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xxxiii He'd sit grizzling and smoking by himself all day long. No getting a word out of him.

1935 A. L. Rowse Diary 6 Apr. (2003) 88 Aunt Rowe was vexed at never being able ‘to get a word out of me’, that book was so absorbing.

1994 C. Cookson Tinker's Girl (1995) i. vii. 201 Can talk the hind leg off a donkey yet we can't get a word out of him when he's in the house.

(a) to give (a person) one's word: (a) to make a promise, pledge, or undertaking; (b) to declare, state positively or certainly, assert, affirm (that).

ΚΠ

1549 T. Cooper Lanquet's Epitome of Crons. f. 3 That against synne Christe instituted his kyngdome, gaue his woorde, and that he shoulde come to take away sinne, and saue us.

1574 T. Tymme tr. J. de Serres Three Partes Comm. Ciuill Warres Fraunce ix. 258 Dalbe yeelded so farre to their murderous enticementes, as he gaue his word and promise to kill the Admirall.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 491 He gaue his word, and sware that he would doe them no hurt at all.

1645 J. Howell Epistolæ Ho-elianæ ii. xix. 37 At the dissolution of the last Assembly at Lodun, where he solemnly gave his word to permit them to reassemble.

1719 C. Cibber Ximena iv. 35 Give me thy Word, that on the morrow Noon, Before the King in Person thou wilt answer.

1789 E. Inchbald tr. N. Destouches Married Man ii. i. 37 That is a secret I gave my word not to reveal.

1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. v. 117 We were lapidated by the natives—pebbled to some purpose, I give you my word.

1894 Eng. Hist. Rev. 9 499 The duke..had given his word that they should not suffer in life or limb.

1926 People's Home Jrnl. Feb. 49/2 You won't be ashamed of me, Dick—I give you my word.

1949 ‘P. Wentworth’ Spotlight xix. 119 The language—..I give you my word it was enough to curl your hair.

1982 J. McGahern in New Yorker 22 Mar. 49/2 If you can give me your word that you'll take the job, I can promise you that the job is as good as yours.

2004 D. Bargal & E. Sivan in Y. Bar-Siman-Tov From Conflict Resolution to Reconciliation vi. 143 [He] gave his word that no retribution would be exacted for acts committed under the Francoist regime.

(b) to give the word: (a) to utter the password in answer to a challenge from a guard, sentry, etc.; (b) to declare what password is to be used. Now rare.

ΚΠ

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xx. 91 Lear. Giue the word? Edg. Sweet Margerum. Lear. Passe.

1667 Duchess of Newcastle Life Duke of Newcastle ii. 60 He offer'd my Lord the Keys of the City, and desir'd him to give the Word that night.

1721 T. D'Urfey Grecian Heroine v. i, in New Opera's 137 Stand, give the Word e'er you pass farther.

1847 F. Marryat Children of New Forest I. v. 93 He gave the word, and the gate was opened.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xvi. 679 The first morning on which Marlborough had the command, he gave the word ‘Wirtemberg’.

1888 R. L. Stevenson Black Arrow ii. v. 139 ‘Who goes?’ cried the man in command. ‘Will Lawless, by the rood—ye know me as well as your own hand,’ returned the outlaw, contemptuously. ‘Give the word, Lawless,’ returned the other.

1977 S. MacManus Story Irish Race (rev. ed.) 446 A sentry challenged. ‘Advance and give the word!’

(c) to give words to: = to put into words at Phrases 4h. Also with indirect object, as to give (something) words.

ΚΠ

a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iv. iii. 210 Giue sorrow words; the griefe that do's not speake, Whispers the o're-fraught heart, and bids it breake.

1720 J. Hughes Siege Damascus v. ii. 67 A thousand tender Thoughts rise in my Soul, How shall I give them Words?

1761 R. Glover Medea iv. iii. 64 Utter thy complaints; Give words to anger, and to sorrow tears.

1821 M. R. Sterndale Life of Boy II. ix. 222 He had great pleasure in tracing the sympathy of character and manner in two beings so dear to him, yet prudently forbore to ‘give his thoughts words’.

1882 W. Besant All Sorts of Men I. viii. 191 At a loss to give indignation words.

1934 Times 14 Apr. 11/4 Those professional writers, or journalists, who will be grateful to Mr. Fisher for giving words to their sentiments.

1997 D. Simon & E. Burns Corner 256 He's looking up at the acoustic-tile ceiling, giving words to the thought running through the heads of everyone else in the courtroom.

(a) to have words: to have a verbal altercation, speak angrily or sharply, quarrel, argue (with someone) (formerly also †to have some words, †to have many words).

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > quarrel [verb (intransitive)] > in noisy or angry manner

flitec900

chidec1000

strivec1290

scold1377

wrangle1377

jangle1382

brawlc1440

bickera1450

to have words1490

altercate1530

jar1550

brangle1553

brabble1568

yed1570

fraple?a1598

barrat1600

warble1600

camp1606

to word it1612

caterwaul1621

cample1628

pickeer1651

spar1698

fratch1714

rafflea1796

row1797

barney1850

dudgeon1859

frabble1885

scrap1895

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) iii. 88 Whan we playd togyder, we hade some wordes.

1655 J. Hammond Hammond versus Heamans 4 [They] had some words with Mr. Preston the new-made Commander, complaining of their injurious assuming of the Government, and taking away of the Records.

1723 I. Martin Tryal & Sufferings 24 Inq. What quarrels have you had with people? Do you remember their Names?..Mart. I nam'd four or five that I had words with.

1752 Sports of Muses 286 Two Gentlemen having Words in a Tavern, at length fell to fighting with their Canes.

1789 Whole Proc. King's Comm. Peace (City of London & County of Middlesex) 25/2 There were six or seven men having many words, and of course they were going to fight.

1835 Times 5 Feb. 3/6 Having had words with her mistress on the 5th of November, she went out into the garden crying.

1888 G. Meredith Let. 13 Feb. (1970) II. 909 This day our barbarians of the household have had ‘words’ together, and the Cook notifies her departure.

1901 ‘Zack’ White Cottage 37 Have you and Mark had wuds?

1974 O. Clark Diary 23 Mar. (1998) 8 Kasmin called me a silly cuss—we had words—I set Marianne on him re David's drawings of Celia.

2000 J. Sutherland & C. Watts Henry V, War Criminal? 33 After Emilia has come in and had words with Othello, Desdemona revives sufficiently to utter three speeches.

(b) to have a word.

(i) To speak briefly (with someone). Cf. sense A. 1c.

ΚΠ

1592 R. Greene Philomela sig. E2 Tell her I am heere, and would if her leisure serued her gladly haue a word with her.

1631 B. Jonson Bartholmew Fayre iii. v. 45 in Wks. II Stay, Sir, I must haue a word with you in priuate.

1770 R. Cumberland Brothers iv. ii. 45 Please to betake yourself from the door of your cabbin; there's a young woman within I must have a word with.

1842 J. Banim & M. Banim Father Connell III. xiii. 247 Tom Naddy an' I had a word about his poor young misthress.

1934 M. Moore Let. 1 Mar. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 319 Naturally I suggested to Ellen that we have a word afterward.

1965 B. Sweet-Escott Baker St. Irregular vi. 167 It was difficult to have a word in private with any of the British members..because it was a rule that Americans and British should share rooms.

2002 R. Williams Sing yer Heart out for Lads i. 62 My mate the copper still has to go over and have a word, asks the geezer to turn the music down, neighbours bin complaining.

(ii) = to have words at Phrases 4d(a).

ΚΠ

1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xlviii. 480 ‘We were a very happy little company, Johnson,’ said poor Crummles. ‘You and I never had a word.’

1910 King George V in H. Nicolson George V (1952) vii. 105 I have lost my best friend & the best of fathers. I never had a word with him in his life.

1935 Z. N. Hurston Mules & Men ii. vi. 287 Celestine is not mad any more about the word we had last week.

2004 Lexington (Kentucky) Herald Leader (Nexis) 17 June c3 We've always gotten along... We've never had a word or anything.

e. to keep one's word: to honour one's promise; = as good as one's word at good adj., n., adv., and int. Phrases 4e. Similarly (now archaic) to hold one's word.

ΚΠ

OE Homily: Sermonem Angelorum Nomina (Corpus Cambr. 419) in A. S. Napier Wulfstan (1883) 230 Gif ge nyllað healdan eower word and eower wedd, ge þonne beoð adilegode of ealra lifigendra bocum.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4145 For þat weord þat ich þe sende, bi mine liue ich hit halde.

c1330 Sir Orfeo (Auch.) (1966) l. 468 (MED) Nedes þou most þi word hold.

a1450 MS Bodl. 779 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1889) 82 396 (MED) Hold þy woord, ic þe rede.

1524 tr. J. de Bourbon Begynnynge & Foundacyon Holy Hospytall sig. Eij They fered that y^e Turke wolde not holde his worde.

1578 J. Rogers Displaying Secte Heretiques sig. E.vi ^v The Turke likewise is..diligent in prayer, seuere in keeping his worde and promise.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream iii. ii. 267 Lys. I will keepe my word, with thee. Dem. I would I had your bond..Ile not trust your word.

1715 J. Vanbrugh tr. F. C. Dancourt Country House ii. 22 You must behave your self like a Woman of Honour, and keep your Word.

1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain iii. xxii. 165 I swore upon the rood, Neither to stop, nor turn, nor rest,..In life or death I hold my word!

1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. lxxx. 346 A gentleman should always keep his word to a lady!

1904 W. S. Blunt Fand ii, in Poet. Wks. (1914) II. 323 How shall I hold my word? I have promised..To yield him to his wife.

1963 J. Hitrec tr. I. Andríc Bosnian Chron. xxiii. 362 The Muscovites..were bad neighbors and warmongers and never kept their word.

2003 J. Mullaney We'll be Back 149 It's not finished yet; the West must keep its word and help rebuild the country.

f. to make words.

(a) In negative contexts: (not) to say anything (more) about a matter; (not) to speak about or make mention of. Now rare.

ΚΠ

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccli. f. CC.xxviii/2 They coude nat amende it, nor they durst make no wordes therof.

1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus in Paraphr. New Test. I. Mark ix. f. lxi Twelue..disciples..vnto whom his pleasure was to shewe this fight, because thei woulde make no wordes thereof.

1576 A. Fleming tr. Cicero in Panoplie Epist. 67 To make no words of that which I have oftentimes read,..what harme can there be in death.

1606 W. Burton tr. Erasmus Utile-Dulce sig. D 2^v He might perhappes giue but deafe eare to my prayers, or sende some calamitie vppon my family and neuer make wordes of the matter.

1664 J. Wilson Andronicus Comnenius iii. iii. 42 His name slipt from me unawares;..But make no words of't; it may do him wrong.

1730 A. Malcolm New Syst. Arithm. i. v. 37 The Application of the Rule is so plain, that I need make no more words about it.

1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer iv. 72 Bring me your bill, and let's make no more words about it.

1796 F. Burney Camilla II. iii. vi. 123 ‘Well, I won't make no more words about it,’ said Mary, angrily; ‘but I'm sure I never so much as touched it with a pair of tongs.’

1892 Littell's Living Age 6 Feb. 333/1 Well, we won't make no words about the five bob. Let 'em stand over.

1911 ‘M. Bowen’ God & King iii. xi. 345 ‘The Commons have refused our request?’ Ranelagh dared not make words about it.

(b) to make many words: to speak at great length; †to draw out a bargain, to haggle (obsolete). Chiefly in negative contexts; similarly to make few words, †to make but one word. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > speak [verb (intransitive)] > speak briefly or at length

to make many words1530

to run out1533

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 843/1 To make fewe wordes, a brief dire.

?1532 T. Paynell tr. Erasmus De Contemptu Mundi xi. sig. Miii What shulde I make many wordes?

1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. B3 ^v Not to make many wordes (since you will needs know) the kings saies flatly, you are a miser & a snudge.

1654 Trag. Alphonsus iii. 38 Fall to thy business and make few words.

1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. ii. sig. Ff 3/3 To make many words about a small trifle, barguigner, contester pour une chose de neant.

1697 J. Vanbrugh Provok'd Wife ii. i. 14 To drive a Quaker's Bargain, and make but one word with you,..you must lay me down—your Affectation.

1718 C. Cibber Non-juror iv. 52 Look you, fair Lady, not to make many Words, I am convinc'd..I am not the Person you desire to be alone with, upon this Occasion.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. xiv. 122 I will be so far from making any Words with you, that I will give you a Shilling more than your Demand.

1752 Ainsworth's Thes. Linguæ Latinæ (ed. 4) I. (at cited word) I will make but one word with you..te absolvam brevi.

1790 G. Washington Let. 24 Jan. in Writings (1931) XXXI. 2 Nor is it my wish to higgle, or make many words to the bargain.

1848 E. C. Gaskell Mary Barton (1897) xxxvii. 328 John Barton was not a man to take counsel with people; nor did he make many words about his doings.

1896 W. Morris Well at World's End ii. xxxiii. 247/1 Therewith dropped the talk of that matter: & in sooth Ralph was loath to make many words thereof, lest his eagerness shine through.

1931 Folk-lore 42 174 Then she sent still more honourable messengers... They..reminded him of his oaths, but he answered,—‘Do not make many words, for I shall never return to her.’

†(c) To make a proposal of. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > propose

proffera1375

movea1382

adjustc1450

advance1509

to make words1645

offer1660

overturea1665

volunteer1818

1645 J. Milton Tetrachordon 43 Herod..cast his eye..upon Herodias..and durst make words of marrying her.

(d) Chiefly Scottish. To talk at (too) great length of; to make an outcry or fuss. Sc. National Dict. (1976) records the sense ‘to make an uproar’ as still in use in Shetland in 1974.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > be copious [verb (intransitive)] > be prolix

prolixa1538

to summer and winter1724

to make words1823

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward III. xiii. 310 You make words of nothing.

1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. at Words To mak Words, 1. To talk more about any thing than it deserves... 2. To make an uproar.

1855 New Monthly Mag. Aug. 478 ‘No,’ said Mary Carr, ‘if you must go, I shall accompany you.’ ‘Then don't make words about it,’ snapped Rose.

1892 Mrs. H. Ward David Grieve II. viii. 49 A saved it for tha, owt o' t' summer cattle moastly, without tellin nobory, so as not to mak words.

g. to pass one's word: = to give one's word at Phrases 4c(a). Now rare.

ΚΠ

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxviii. 706 He had passed his word, that the citie should not be charged with setting out an Armada.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) i. v. 76 Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no Fox, but he wil not passe his word for two pence that you are no Foole.

1640 E. Gorges Let. in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700 (1998) 248 If Phellip would pase his word for the rente this one yeare I thought they myte holde it.

1765 G. G. Beekman Let. 26 Aug. in Beekman Mercantile Papers (1956) I. 485 When you desired me to pass my word to Mr. Hegeman for the Payment of the bread, it was with some Reluctance I did it.

1840 C. Dickens Master Humphrey's Clock II. xlii. 29 I have passed my word..and I'll keep it.

1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona xiii. 144 I am trysted with your cousin Charlie; I have passed my word.

1913 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 22 Feb. 25/3 Whitepig said no—he'd passed his word.

h. to put in (also into) words: to express by means of language; to verbalize, articulate.

ΚΠ

1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxii. 47 To put life into words by countenance, voice and gesture.

1682 T. Shadwell Lancashire-witches iv. 62 Mine received the news with more Joy, than he Could put in Words.

1763 H. Home Elem. Crit. (1765) I. Pref. A writer..must be possessed of the thought before he can put it into words.

1827 M. R. Mitford Dramatic Scenes 63 Beshrew thee, Edward, that hast put in words The very thought that woke within my heart Such torture!

1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam v. 5 I sometimes hold it half a sin To put in words the grief I feel.

1892 Temple Bar Dec. 541 She could not put her fear into words.

1944 E. Johnston Amer. Unlimited i. 5 Why, Mr. Johnston, you've said just what I believe. You've put into words something I've felt all along.

1992 N. Cohn Heart of World xviii. 316 He takes one look at me, our eyes meet, and how could you put it in words, it's love at first sight.

i. to say the word: to give an order or instruction, esp. to someone who is expecting one; to state one's wishes (in response to a question or request).

ΚΠ

?1533 W. Tyndale Expos. Mathew (vi) f. lxviij^v Kynge and Emperoure are their seruauntes: they nede but saye the worde, and their will is fullfilled.

1560 B. Googe tr. ‘M. Palingenius’ Zodyake of Lyfe iii. sig. Eviii If thou sayst the woord, we goe.

1631 T. Heywood Fair Maid of West: 1st Pt. iv. 44 Shall I strike that Captaine? say the word, Ile have him by the eares.

1761 H. Brooke Earl of Essex v. 75 The bloody axe is ready—Say the word, (For none can cut off heads without your leave) And it is done.

1873 W. S. Gilbert More Bab Ballads 118 Miss Emily, I love you—Will you marry? Say the word!

1911 H. S. Harrison Queed i. 12 They march like little lambs when I say the word.

1960 P. Van Paassen Crown of Fire i. 39 If Girolamo wished to know the mother's identity, he had only to say the word. The servants were willing to tell everything.

2006 Granta Summer 49 Fancy the merchandise? Well, just say the word and it's yours.

(a) to take up the word (in early use †to take the word): to begin speaking, esp. immediately after or instead of another person. Now rare. [Partly after French prendre la parole ; compare Hellenistic Greek τὴν παραβολὴν ἀναλαβεῖν to take up one's ‘parable’ (compare parable n. Phrases).]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > speak [verb (intransitive)] > begin to speak

upbreakc1275

to set spell on enda1300

gina1333

to take up (one's) parablea1382

braidc1400

to take up the word1477

begin1563

exordiate1594

to speak upa1723

to lug out1787

to speak out1792

upspeak1827

exordize1887

shoot1915

open1926

to come in1949

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 134 Mopsius toke the worde & sayde [etc.].

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) ix. 204 The kinge Yon toke the worde & sayd [etc.].

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccxliii. 219/1 Than the duke of Bretayne toke the wordes, & sayd [etc.].

1557 Bible (Whittingham) Luke x. 30 Iesus taking his word said [etc.] [Gk. ὑπολαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν].

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 553 Then Drances took the word.

?1726 tr. F. de Motteville Mem. Hist. Anne of Austria IV. 136 The Prince of Conti took up the word, and said, [etc.].

1808 W. Scott Marmion i. xxiii. 44 Young Selby..reverently took up the word. ‘Kind uncle, woe were we each one, If harm should hap.’

1811 A. de Beauclerc Ora & Juliet II. 192 Henry..was going to address Mrs. Brewster; but lady Harriet took the word.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward III. xii. 300 There was a general murmur. ‘My Lord Duke,’ said the Count of Crevecœur, taking the word for the rest, ‘this must be better thought on.’

1884 W. D. Howells Rise Silas Lapham x The Colonel, left alone with his wife.., made haste to take the word.

1887 W. Morris tr. Homer Odyssey I. i. 2 The Father of Gods and of men..took up the word.

1951 Folk-lore 62 459 Then Klafsky Gretel recited a fine oration (spruch), and when she had done, I took up the word with an oration.

(b) to take a person's word: (a) to trust a person's promise, esp. a promise to repay a debt for which credit has been given (obsolete); (b) to accept a person's statement or assertion, without seeking verification, as being true or trustworthy; usually with for, esp. in take my word for it: (used to emphasize an assertion) I can assure you, you may be sure, believe me.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > accept as true, believe [verb (transitive)]

ylevec888

leve971

ween971

i-weneOE

takec1175

trowc1175

truth?c1250

thinka1275

believec1300

trustc1325

hold1340

trist1340

to give (one's) faith to (also unto)c1405

accept?c1430

admitc1449

credencea1529

to take a person at his (also her) word1535

credit1547

faith1576

to take a person's word1576

receive1581

creed1596

understand1751

Adam and Eve1925

buy1926

the mind > language > statement > assurance, confirmation, or guarantee > [phrase]

witc900

hightOE

to stand for it?a1500

take my word for it1576

I protest1587

I warrant me1825

1576 U. Fulwell Ars Adulandi vii. sig. Giii Tapster, set forwardes our dinner, and if we lacke money, I wil promise thee by the faith of a Gentleman, to pay thee when I come hither next. Tom Tapster. I take your word, you shall lacke no good cheare.

1587 in W. M. Williams Ann. Founders' Co. (1867) 69 He givinge his fayth promyse to M^r Alderman..M^r Alderman tooke his worde.

1597 E. S. Discouerie Knights of Poste sig. A4 Will you take my word for two pence? Take thy word? Ile see thee hangd first (qd she) pay me my money.

1623 J. Webster Deuils Law-case v. sig. L3 ^v This is a white Nun, Of the Order of Saint Clare; and this a blacke one, Youle take my word for't.

1672 W. Wycherley Love in Wood iv. i. 62 But may I take your word Jonas?

1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 284. ⁋4 Take my Word for it, there is nothing in it.

1712 J. Arbuthnot John Bull in his Senses iii. 9 Nobody will take our Words for Six Pence.

1762 S. Foote tr. P. N. Destouches Spendthrift iii. iii, in S. Foote et al. Comic Theatre I. 173 Nay, sir, don't take my word for it; ask his man here?

1842 F. Marryat Percival Keene III. vi. 105 Take my word for it, Tommy, you'll find all captains peculiar to one point; which is, [etc.].

1864 R. Whately Christian Evid. iii. 21 How can you know, except by taking the word of the learned for it?

1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat 186 On a matter of this kind you can take Harris's word.

1918 Chambers's Jrnl. 1 Oct. 678/2 I refuse to take his word for it that the titles are O.K.

1969 Listener 16 Jan. 87/2 We have to take his word for most of what we're told in the book's final section.

1991 P. Carey Tax Inspector vii. 41 When you look at the books, you take my word, you're going to find some hanky-panky.

2007 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 27 Oct. b2 Don't take my word for it. Do the math.

(c) to take a person at his (or her) word: see Phrases 1b(d).

P5. In other idiomatic uses.

a. words fail me (also him, her, etc.): used to indicate that a person is unable to think of an appropriate response, esp. because of shock, intense emotion, or outraged disbelief. Cf. to be lost for words at lost adj. Additions.

ΚΠ

1762 J. Mitchell Female Pilgrim 21 Words failed her to express her thankfulness.

1842 T. Campbell Pilgrim Glencoe (1853) 198 ‘Words fail me,’ Allan said, ‘to thank aright Your father's kindness shown me yesternight’.

1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin xii. 218 ‘Lord love us!..d'you mean to say’—Words failed him.

1954 G. Smith Flaw in Crystal x. 103 ‘But look here,’ I expostulated, by way of a conventional last-ditch stand, ‘You can't tell me you've had the temerity to—’ Words failed me.

2008 Mirror (Nexis) 19 Feb. 43 As for suggesting the EU flag as a substitute—words fail me.

b. word has it: it is (generally) reported, rumour has it (that).

ΚΠ

1780 C. Burney Let. 1 June in Musical Q. (1979) 65 333 Word has it that Your Reverence has happily finished your great work.

1904 J. S. Gale Vanguard 113 Without telegraph or newspaper, word had it that Major Pak had yielded to the Doctrine.

1991 J. Keenan Putting on Ritz (1992) xv. 160 Word has it she blew 'em away.

2003 Go Girl Aug. 13/1 It seems like we haven't seen the last of them yet! Yay! Word has it that they've all got big plans.

c. colloquial (originally U.S.). (the) word on the street: a rumour or piece of information or gossip currently in circulation. Cf. sense A. 4b.

ΚΠ

1919 Evening Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) 4 Jan. (advt.) Chandler is back to $1795. That's the word on the street today.

1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 17 July a5 The word on the street is that next time it's the torch.

2001 Sci Fi June 32/1 Word on the street is that the Hughes brothers are calling this an ‘urban thriller’.

d. slang (originally and chiefly U.S., in the language of rap and hip-hop). word to ——: greetings to ——; credit, esteem, or compliments to ——. Also word to the (also your, my) mother and variants: used as a general expression of affirmation or agreement, or to give force to a declaration.

ΚΠ

1988 ‘Dr. Dre’ et al. Straight outta Compton (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics 244 Word to the motherfucker Straight Outta Compton.

1988 ‘Big Daddy Kane’ (title of song) Word to the mother (land).

1991 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) (Nexis) 9 Mar. Yo! Word to your mother. This Iceman's..like no other.

1998 L. Hill Final Hour in Miseducation Lauryn Hill (CD lyrics booklet) Word to Boonie I makes a lot like a Sunni.

2002 S. Holmes B-More Careful 253 It's something about her that ain't right, word to my mother.

Compounds

C1. (Almost exclusively in sense A. 12.)

(a) General attributive and appositive, with the sense ‘of, pertaining or relating to, or consisting of a word or words’.

word accent n. [compare German Wortakzent (1739)]

ΚΠ

1844 C. Beck & C. C. Felton tr. E. Munk Metres Greeks & Romans i. vi. 23 The word-accent is not destroyed by the accent of the verse-rhythm.

1868 S. Kerl Common School Gram. Eng. Lang. 327 Any word or syllable can be brought under the poetic accent, when there is no prevention from quantity or word-accent.

1947 Notes 5 110 All would agree with the author that word accent should correspond with musical accent.

2003 M. von Albrecht Cicero's Style i. 19 Dangel points out connections between prose rhythm and word accent.

word boundary n.

ΚΠ

1910 Mod. Lang. Rev. 5 209 A person speaking naturally under ordinary circumstances is not conscious of the word-boundaries.

1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xxiii. 419 At the time of the loss of -n, the language did not distinguish word-boundaries in the manner of present-day English.

2004 I. Livingston Ling. Comm. Livius Andronicus 43 Virtually all Saturnian lines can be divided, at a word boundary, into two segments.

word break n.

ΚΠ

1907 L. J. Richardson Horace's Alcaic Strophe (Univ. Calif. Publ. Classical Philol.) 177 Within the initial portion of the verses word-breaks tend to occur at certain points with marked frequency.

1958 L. C. Hector Handwriting Eng. Docs. iv. 46 In later times formal documents on the whole avoid word-breaks.

1991 Lit. & Ling. Computing 6 35/2 Some older Hebrew and Greek manuscripts written in scriptio continua (without word breaks).

word choice n.

ΚΠ

1888 W. Andrews N. Country Poets I. 245 It must by no means be supposed that his scintillating brilliancy of word-choice is his highest quality.

1998 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 16 July 40/2 Speech is gnarled and simplistic at once..as if the literalness of the intrigue allowed Shakespeare to savor sheer oddness of word choice, to make language strange.

word cloud n. an image composed of words used most commonly or prominently in a particular context or field, in which the size of each word indicates its relative frequency or importance.

ΚΠ

2006 gizmodo.com (Nexis) 17 July This laser etched Powerbook with a word cloud of Web 2.0 terms has got to be the worst thing we've ever seen.

2008 Ancestry Nov. 35/1 Word clouds are effective ways of quickly and visually summarizing your family tree.

2015 T. W. Miller Web & Network Data Sci. ix. 179 (caption) Word Cloud for Richard M. Nixon Speeches.

word coinage n.

ΚΠ

1849 N. Brit. Rev. May 150 The Latinism of Isaac Taylor, the rugged word-coinage of Chalmers, or the gigantic Teutonism of Carlyle.

1929 Amer. Speech 5 92 It may surprise some readers to hear that poets and novelists are responsible for extremely few word-coinages.

1997 S. R. Horowitz Voicing the Void vii. 157 The obsession of Nazi leadership with public speeches and radio broadcasts, with slogans and chants, with word coinage and euphemism.

word combination n.

ΚΠ

1686 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 16 78 Such an Arbitrary pronounciation [sic]..might serve..for a help to learn the Signification of words, or Word Combinations of [Chinese] Characters.

1852 Amer. Whig Rev. Nov. 451/2 Feeling it to be our duty to give currency to every new discovery at all likely to benefit the world or literature, we present a few of Mr. Melville's word-combinations.

1932 A. H. Gardiner Theory of Speech & Lang. iii. 158 Syntax..may be defined as the study of the forms both of the sentence itself and of all free word-combinations which enter into it.

1991 Using Corpora (Proc. Conf. Univ. Waterloo Centre for New OED) 77 A large-scale inventory has been made of recurrent word combinations in the London-Lund Corpus.

word composition n.

ΚΠ

1856 Kenosha (Wisconsin) Weekly Democrat 28 May 1/7 His apostrophe however, to a glass of cold water, is a beautiful piece of word composition.

1904 H. Bradley Making of Eng. 127 The copious word-composition of Greek.

2007 Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot (Nexis) 5 Aug. a13 The opinion pages of the Citizen Patriot ought to denote the beauty of word composition.

word creation n.

ΚΠ

1829 Gentleman's Mag. 99 ii. Suppl. 594/1 At the first formation of a language..a genius is awakened by the free liberty of word-creation enjoyed, which [etc.].

1884 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. July 187 That species of word-creation commonly designated as parasynthetic.

2007 Chicago Sun Times (Nexis) 6 July b4 Devilish word-creation outside the bounds of grammatical good taste is a tradition embracing Shakespeare, Edward Lear, James Joyce and Philip K. Dick.

word derivation n.

ΚΠ

1866 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 8 66 Such peculiarities are expressed partly in the grammar, partly in the varieties of word-derivation.

1891 Tablet 29 Aug. 331 The science of word-derivation is a growing one.

1997 C. Shields Larry's Party (1998) v. 81 At this time in his life he has zero interest in word derivations, but he can tell you plain and simple what a labyrinth is.

word division n. [compare German Worttrennung (19th cent.)]

ΚΠ

1856 S. P. Tregelles Horne's Introd. Textual Crit. New Test. (rev. ed.) iv. 30 The Gothic rulers of Italy, in the close of the fifth century, introduced word divisions in Latin documents.

1877 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. 6 459 Many people, misled by our ordinary word-division, imagine that they make a pause at the end of every word.

1991 Eng. Today July 49/1 Even an unjustified text will need some word-division.

2003 S. V. Tracy Athens & Macedon 4 A stoichedon arrangement..takes no account of word division from one line to the next.

word element n.

ΚΠ

1849 H. Bushnell God in Christ i. 73 The phrenologists claim..to show us the localities of these words in our heads, and how very man-like these word-elements will work when put together.

1903 H. Keller Story of my Life xiii. 58 I made many sounds and word-elements, not because they were a means of communication, but because the need of exercising my vocal organs was imperative.

1964 C. Barber Ling. Change Present-day Eng. iv. 78 These [new learned words] are usually formed from Latin or Greek word-elements.

1994 Eng. Today July 19 A description of how a text-retrieval program can search a tagged corpus for words, word elements, and their grammatical roles.

word end n.

ΚΠ

1888 Papers Amer. School at Athens 4 51 A word-end coincides with the end of the fourth foot in 400 of the 681 hexameters legible at this point.

1997 C. W. Kreidler Describing Spoken Eng. vi. 94 The symbol # here represents the word end.

word ending n.

ΚΠ

1829 M. Stuart Pract. Rules Greek Accents i. 20 The case-ending differs from the word-ending; e.g. σωτ-ήρ where ήρ is the word-ending; σωτῆρ-α, where α is the case-ending.

1863 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 419 After elaborate analytic researches in more than eighty languages, Mr. Garnett announced that word-endings were originally uninflected pronominal roots, with a locative signification.

1966 J. Derrick Teaching Eng. to Immigrants vi. 210 Meaning is conveyed..with a reduced form of grammar—word-endings are left off, structural words omitted, etc.

1996 W. Rukeyser in K. Amis Lett. (2000) 632 The butchered French reflects Kingsley's notion that there are really only 3 French word endings: ang, ong, and wow.

word family n. [compare German Wörterfamilie (1765)]

ΚΠ

1869 T. Turner 6th Eng. Reading Bk. ii. 130 We..see that, from a parent stem-word, we obtain a large word-family.

1926 H. W. Fowler Dict. Mod. Eng. Usage 553/2 A phonetically consistent method is in English peculiarly hard to reconcile with the keeping together of word families.

2000 Today's Parent Oct. 61/1 Hearing that initial letter..is the big early reading skill. From that, kids can use all the rimes to make word families.

word-fog n.

ΚΠ

1855 Knickerbocker Dec. 647 The charge was this—when clarified From technical word-fog—That French's son tin-pan had tied To tail of Fox's dog.

1943 Mil. Affairs 7 108 Thus we pass into a word fog on strategy and tactics which is somewhat reminiscent of Gertrude Stein of happier days.

2002 M. N. Forster tr. J. G. von Herder Philos. Writings iii. 198 Those will be philosophical times, when people write such descriptions—not when they veil themselves in general formulas and word-fog.

word function n.

ΚΠ

1912 L. Bloomfield in C. Hockett Leonard Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 35 The relation of word-form to word-function.

1994 N. Fabb Sentence Structure iv. 37 In this case, word class does not match word function.

word game n.

ΚΠ

1852 E. S. Dallas Poetics ii. iii. 72 Poesy is lowered into a mere word-game, a kind of leasing where we utter self-evident lies by way of amusement.

1899 Los Angeles Times 30 July 22 The idea is to deal out a dozen cards, each having some letter of the alphabet on it, to the players—such cards as are used in word games, or may be made for the purpose.

1934 Mind 43 117 Those who are reluctant to regard philosophy as mere mystery-mongering or as an academic word-game.

1974 R. Passmore & J. S. Robson Compan. Med. Stud. III. xxxiv. 8/1 Wittgenstein described speech as a ‘word game’, implying that language follows defined rules similar to those which govern sports.

2004 Independent 17 Aug. (Review section) 4/4 Before I left, I had..played the word game Taboo with two Mexicans, one Colombian, an Austrian and a Swiss.

word history n.

ΚΠ

1851 L. H. Grindon Figurative Lang. 103 No one who pretends to the slightest knowledge of philosophical etymology can for one moment deny that it obscures hundreds, nay thousands, of the most beautiful and instructive word-histories.

1875 W. D. Whitney Life & Growth of Lang. v. 94 In Anglo-Saxon there was no such word as of, as distinguished from off; their separation, in form and meaning, is a piece of very recent word-history.

1977 K. F. Kister Dict. Buying Guide ii. 240 The more substantial slang dictionaries provide detailed word histories and thus complement the etymological dictionaries.

2006 Tulsa (Oklahoma) World (Nexis) 8 Jan. h8 Current and reliable, it's second on word history only to the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary.

word-idea n.

ΚΠ

1877 R. Shute Disc. Truth vii. 245 Word-ideas have almost entirely superseded the old pictures of phænomena as instruments of reason.

1902 E. W. Scripture Elements Exper. Phonetics x. 150 A word-idea should be learned as parts of various courses of thought in order to form the necessary language associations.

1995 G. McCulloch Mind & its World vi. 152 You first acquire word-ideas on which you do the translation to get the thing-ideas.

word-image n.

ΚΠ

1851 Free Church Mag. Sept. 277/1 The dexterously selected glittering word-images of Emerson's most highly finished sentences.

1892 Philos. Rev. 1 681 The firm association between the sight and word image and the muscle sensations.

1940 Times 16 Jan. 18/3 Reading consists of recognizing word images, whether they are such simple shapes as ‘2’, ‘I’, ‘a’, or such complex images as are formed by the seven letters of the word ‘through’.

2000 Women's Rev. Bks. Dec. 12/4 My response translates into fragments of word-images, memories and sometimes brief, fantastic narratives of my own.

word jingle n.

ΚΠ

1876 R. W. Emerson Lett. & Social Aims 43 Barbaric word-jingle.

1943 J. W. H. Atkins Eng. Lit. Crit.: Medieval v. 110 He indicates certain common faults to be avoided by the writer, notably the use of hiatus, word-jingles, forced metaphors, and periods of excessive length.

2007 Korea Times (Nexis) 1 Nov. Even in the U.S., word jingles that might sound grammatically awkward are frequently used.

wordlist n.

ΚΠ

1859 Catal. Amer. Publishing Co. 43 in Key C. Davies' New Elem. Algebra Barnes's word lists to accompany Barnes's New National Readers.

1866 G. Stephens (title) The Old Northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England, with Introductions, Appendices, Word-Lists, Runic Alphabets, &c.

1929 Amer. Speech 4 337 The following word-list..does..record representative words and phrases commonly used by ‘knights of the road’, ‘migratory workers’, and denizens of the so-called ‘underworld’.

1939 PMLA 54 991 Cockeram borrowed most conspicuously from Bullokar. Their word-lists are strikingly similar.

2005 S. Elmes Talking for Brit. x. 248 Many hundreds of dialect terms were recorded in wordlists from all over Northumberland.

word meaning n. [compare German Wortbedeutung (17th cent.)]

ΚΠ

1851 F. Lieber On Vocal Sounds L. Bridgeman in Smithsonian Contrib. Knowl. 2 ii. 25 There are many perfectly articulate sounds used in our language, which, nevertheless, have neither a destinct [sic] word-meaning, nor are interjections.

1993 Omni Oct. 52/2 Raichel watches which areas of the brain react, and..isolates the parts of the brain that seem to be involved in the retrieval of word meanings.

word memory n.

ΚΠ

1843 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 13 334 It is a catalogue raisonné of the larger and smaller regions and districts of the globe... It is calculated for little more than the cultivation of a word-memory.

1890 W. James Princ. Psychol. I. xvi. 684 ‘Ataxic’ and ‘amnesic’ aphasia, ‘word-deafness’, and ‘associative aphasia’ are all practical losses of word-memory.

2003 S. J. Segal & L. D. Mastroianni Hormone Use in Menopause & Male Andropause vi. 39 Results showed that women receiving estrogen therapy performed significantly better than other women on some tasks. The largest group difference was in a word memory task.

word order n. [compare German Wortfolge (1774), French ordre des mots (18th cent.)]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > syntax or word order > [noun]

construction1530

syntaxis1540

composition1553

syntaxa1637

syntaxa1684

consecution1871

word order1872

taxis1885

1872 J. W. Hales Longer Eng. Poems 237 Unreproved pleasures free. On this favourite word-order of Milton see Hymn Nat. 187.

1882 H. Sweet in Trans. Philol. Soc. 109 Parent Arian had already developed a perfectly definite word-order.

1958 Aspects of Translation 35 Inflexions and grammar impose a more rigorous word-order on the French language than on English.

2001 Classical Philol. 96 430 It is far more plausible to follow the word order, and take the adjective attributively.

word pair n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > similar or confusable words

homoeoteleft1652

word pair1886

confusable1979

1886 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 17 App. p. xxii Word pairs of contrasted signification.

1936 G. K. Zipf Psycho-biol. Lang. (U.K. ed.) iv. 134 Word-pairs like submit and remit, or accuse and excuse.

1964 J. Vachek in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 194 The ModE word-pair longer [lɔŋgə] (comparative of long): longer [lɔŋə] (the noun of agent derived from the verb to long).

2005 A. Esgate & D. Groome Introd. Applied Cognitive Psychol. ii. 28 They presented their participants with word pairs, each consisting of a category word and an example of an item from that category (e.g. Fruit-Banana).

word-palatogram n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > [noun] > instruments or diagrams

phthongometer1837

logograph1879

glossograph1883

palate-myograph1884

palatogram1902

tongue-curve1902

kymograph1918

voiceprint1918

vowel diagram1932

kymogram1934

speech stretcher1948

word-palatogram1948

recognizer1949

phonolaryngoscope1953

speech recognizer1953

grid1961

voiceprinter1966

1948 J. R. Firth in Bull. School Afr. & Oriental Stud. 12 859 Palatograms here presented..are word-palatograms. That is to say, they are used for the abstraction of articulatory contact and possibly also of movement from suitably selected words taken as whole utterances.

1986 K. N. Reddy in Proc. 13th All India Conf. Dravidian Linguists 168 The palatograms used in the present study were all ‘word-palatograms’... They were made to show the effect of pronunciation of whole word[s] rather than of isolated speech sounds.

word part n.

ΚΠ

1694 S. Pepys Let. 4 Aug. in Academy (1890) 9 Aug. 110/1 Your Specimen of Musick-Characters..must appeare Gracefull, when y^e Word-Part shall bee added.

1925 Elem. School Jrnl. 25 781 The pupil will get practice..in achieving familiarity with word-parts for the purpose of developing power to recognize new and difficult words.

2004 C. M. Santa et al. in D. Lapp et al. Content Area Reading & Learning (ed. 2) xiii. 170 Give the students clues by dividing the words photoperiodism into components: photo and periodism. Brainstorm possible definitions for each word part.

word pattern n.

ΚΠ

1677 F. Bampfield All in One 20 To be framed exactly, according to the platform'd Ideas, and word-patterns [printed work-patterns; corrected in errata].

1873 H. Morley First Sketch Eng. Lit. iii. 85 Men of rank who had no poetry in their souls learnt to arrange the conventional ideas into musical word patterns.

1938 L. MacNeice Mod. Poetry ii. 40 The normal business of poetry is the conveying of information through certain kinds of word-patterns.

2002 Callaloo 25 85 Manipulating and extending the basic word pattern and syntactical arrangement established at the poem's beginning.

word patterning n.

ΚΠ

1926 L. W. Flaccus Spirit & Substance Art iii. 172 Not merely a picture painted in successive touches but word patterning that is subtly reminiscent and ever new.

2001 R. G. Havard Crucified Mind ii. 75 The same tension is found in ‘Can de llamas’.., where spatial imagery and word patterning derive more obviously from a religious substructure.

word position n. [compare German Wortstellung (17th cent.)]

ΚΠ

1861 I. Pitman in Phonetic Jrnl. 17 Aug. 450/1 We speak of vowel-places in writing vowels to consonants, and of word-positions in placing words in the writing-space.

1877 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. Great Brit. & Ireland 6 480 The following are, then, the essential elements of English grammar... Word Position.

1993 H. C. Gotoff Cicero's Caesarian Speeches 31 The possessive adjective is in its normal word position, but stressed in hyperbaton and placement in the period.

word sound n.

ΚΠ

1852 ‘G. Greenwood’ Greenwood Leaves 2nd Ser. 293 There is always in it [sc. Browning's verse] a sort of spiritual harmony, which overrules the mere word-sound.

1925 I. A. Richards Princ. Lit. Crit. xvi. 119 Many people are able to imagine word-sounds with greater delicacy..than they can utter them.

1999 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Mar. 84/2 Recently, I took time to count Brian's ‘uh’'s. The informal result: within five minutes of ad-libbing, Brian's ratio of ‘uh’'s to real word sounds approached one to five.

word status n.

ΚΠ

1937 A. H. Gardiner in Mélanges Ling. et Philol. offerts à J. van Ginneken 310 It seems necessary, as between the different classes [of proper names], to assign independent word-status further only to classes II and V.

2002 K. Emmorey Lang., Cognition & Brain v. 173 When symbolic and referential criteria are used to assign word status to a given utterance, then first signs and first words both appear somewhere around the first birthday.

word stem n. [probably after German Wortstamm (a1835)]

ΚΠ

1846 M. Stuart tr. F. H. W. Gesenius Hebrew Gram. 3 For the most part, the word-stems consist of three consonants.

1871 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 1869–70 23 In the structure of the Latin noun, there is the same arrangement of word-stem and flexion-ending as in the verb.

1985 Pract. Computing July 73/3 The search argument can contain Boolean operators, ranges and word stems.

2002 Polit. Theory 30 236 The English word families associated with terms such as tragedy, drama, and catharsis share Greek word stems with their Czech-language counterparts.

word store n.

ΚΠ

1838 E. Guest tr. Widsith in Hist. Eng. Rhythms II. iii. ii. 79 Wide travel told—his word-store [OE wordhord] unlock'd.

1858 W. Barnes Notes Anc. Brit. & Britons 109 Borlase and others have left word-stores of Cornish, and pieces of Cornish dialogue and verse.

1996 Internat. Rev. Appl. Ling. 34 23 Teaching at the advanced level should aim not only to increase the word store but also to flesh out the incomplete or ‘skeleton’ entries which even advanced learners may have for high-frequency verbs.

word stress n. [compare earlier word accent n.]

ΚΠ

1874 W. D. Whitney Oriental & Ling. Stud. xi. 319 If we enunciate a whole sentence together, the same subordination of the word-stress or accent to the sentence-stress or emphasis..will be clearly apparent.

1966 J. Derrick Teaching Eng. to Immigrants iii. 111 This distribution of stress in the individual word, ‘word stress’ as it is called, is a basic difficulty for the foreign learner.

2002 Language 78 271 Prefixes never bear stress; word stress remains on the first syllable of the root.

word structure n.

ΚΠ

1865 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 585 A book of affixes which should attract the young student to the study of English word-structure, and guide him to a correct understanding of the subject.

1948 Trans. Philol. Soc. 129 Eliminating the specific paradigmatic consonant and vowel systems as such, and enabling the syntagmatic word structure of syllables..to be stated systematically.

2007 Boston Globe (Nexis) 5 Aug. a2 Slips of the tongue in a particular language will follow the sound patterns and word structures of that language.

word study n.

ΚΠ

1677 F. Bampfield All in One 4 Word-Study and Scripture-Learning would make Art short and Life long.

1867 E. L. Youmans Culture Demanded by Mod. Life 47 The lingual student, captivated by the interest of word-studies, loses the end in the means.

1979 Notes & Queries June 245/2 The author of a word-study.

2002 T. Wagner Making Grade (2003) v. 144 All teachers now spent a half-hour a day on word study (phonics), in addition to all of the other elements of the literacy program.

word taboo n.

ΚΠ

1921 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 2 50 The importance of ‘word-taboo’ in the Eskimo language in Greenland, and the diversities caused thereby in the dialects of West and East Greenland.

1923 C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards Meaning of Meaning ii. 37 In Frazer's Golden Bough numerous examples of word taboos are collected.

2003 G. Gibbon Sioux ii. 35 Many factors, such as loan words, the presence of a strong literary tradition, and word taboos, can influence the rate of linguistic change.

word trap n.

ΚΠ

1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 307 With a wily word-trap, hee deceiued the Archbishop.

1820 T. Mitchell tr. Aristophanes Acharnians in tr. Aristophanes Comedies I. 92 With silent glee his word-traps he lays deftly.

1992 R. C. Sinopoli Foundations. Amer. Citizenship i. 8 Like Hobbes's ‘bird belimed’, we flutter about in word traps of our own making and only add to the confusion we seek to clarify.

word usage n.

ΚΠ

1879 Evening Gaz. (Port Jervis, N.Y.) 24 Dec. 4/1 Though we respect and admire the young lady's love and devotion, her grammar was at a discount and her word usage somewhat on the John Logan style.

1924 R. M. Ogden tr. K. Koffka Growth of Mind v. 270 A difference in the serial order of the correct word-usage [Ger. des richtigen Wort-Gebrauches] must then depend..upon a difference in the colour-phenomenon itself.

2005 L. Laidlaw Reinventing Curriculum 183 In instant messaging or Internet chat situations, users tend to develop particular codes and word usages which convey added layers of meaning.

word value n.

ΚΠ

1870 Rep. U.S. Commissioners Paris Universal Expos. 1867 III. 446 Taking now the words of the copy which are to be set in a given line, we find the value of each word.., and then add together these word values until [etc.].

1904 Elem. School Jrnl. 4 240 Even in the widely prevalent and constantly increasing use of slang the same carelessness and indifference to word-values are perceptible.

1938 I. Goldberg Wonder of Words xx. 438 For & has the phonetic value of et, but it has the word-value of and.

2000 L. Hejinian Lang. of Inq. 121 In Stein's writing, the word values, which are conventionally hierarchical, are often instead spread out within the sentence.

word-weapon n.

ΚΠ

a1555 N. Ridley Certein Godly Conf. (1556) f. 34^v Truste not..to these worde weapons, for the kingdome of godde is not in wordes, but in power.

1702 J. Wilson Ess. National Love & Unity 8 They gave a Light, but it was to let them see to fight against one another, if not with warlike, certainly with Word-weapons.

1857 Badger State (Portage, Wisconsin) 4 Sept. 1/4 Word weapons, quite smart and very cute, glance from him.

1995 R. Belton Beribboned Bomb vi. 245 Perhaps because it was thought of as a word-weapon in the Surrealist revolution, hysteria was most subtly exploited in literary endeavours.

(b) With the sense ‘(of a person) dealing with or acting by means of words, having words as his or her sphere of action or interest’.

word-artist n.

ΚΠ

1849 Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pa.) 28 May 1/1 What a power have words... When wreathed into form and thoughts by word artists.

1880 S. Lanier Sci. Eng. Verse x. 270 The word-artist, the poet, uses music only in that range of it comprehended between the limits of the speaking-voice.

1996 Mod. Asian Stud. 30 662 It appeared to Mishima that the loneliness of the word-artist could only be escaped in the ‘tragedy of the group’.

word-conjuror n.

ΚΠ

a1832 F. D. Maurice Moral & Metaphysical Philos. in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) II. 576/1 These..specimens of Greek subtlety..they would be inclined to denounce..as the exploits of a mere word-conjuror.

1994 J. Nolan Poet-Chief iii. 62 More than simply a prophet, the shaman is a namer, singer, word-conjuror, storyteller, spirit-guardian, tribal-unifier, healer, and psychic voyager.

† word-epicure n. Obsolete rare.

ΚΠ

1891 Atlantic Monthly Mar. 409/2 The literary man, the word-epicure, delights in obsolete uses.

word-juggler n.

ΚΠ

1845 A. P. Peabody Connection between Sci. & Relig. 27 The very nation that worshipped him [sc. Voltaire] now regard him as a mere word-juggler.

1892 Old & New Test. Student 14 69 One may well allow himself to be thought and called a coward, rather than permit some theological word-juggler to entice him into strifes about shadows.

2001 P. Gibian O. W. Holmes & Culture of Conversat. iii. viii. 223 Holmes was a word-juggler who could, like Sterne, seem to throw the whole universe up into the air in an exquisite flying motion.

word-master n.

ΚΠ

1850 Eliza Cook's Jrnl. 4 May 8/2 His [sc. Hood's] powers of humour..made him known..as a word-master, a language-juggler.

1917 Classical Jrnl. 12 568 He no more disdains the play upon words than do most Greek authors from Homer down, although he is by no means the word-master that, for example, Plato is.

2006 Wired Dec. 88/1 Wordmaster Jerry Holkins and illustrator Mike Krahulik's thrice-weekly webcomic and blog was the final word on everything.

word merchant n.

ΚΠ

1809 Modern Times II. xv. 196 You, word-merchants of this ancient borough, scribes and pharisees, who, in sheep skins and goat skins, make merchandize of your neighbours.

1920 Punch 7 Jan. 9/2 The word-merchant [sc. a journalist] was laughing at us all the time.

1977 Grimsby Evening Tel. 14 May 7/4 He [sc. Malcolm Muggeridge] is the best word merchant of our time.

2007 Kingston (Ont.) Whig-Standard (Nexis) 9 May 6 We're word merchants. We sell language for a living.

word musician n.

ΚΠ

1855 Rambler Dec. 460 The vates was something more than a word-jeweller..; still less was he merely a man of rhythm, a word-musician, a swan, or an articulating fiddle.

1895 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Amer. Rev. July 11 This is [James Fenimore] Cooper. He was not a word-musician. His ear was satisfied with the approximate word.

1930 Classical Jrnl. 26 91 Such a wondrous word-musician as he [sc. Shelley] was must have agreed with Edmund Burke when he said that [etc.].

1986 G. Greer Shakespeare v. 106 George Orwell is obliged to argue that Shakespeare is no thinker, but a word musician, seducing his hearers by ‘mere skill in placing one syllable beside another’.

word-pirate n.

ΚΠ

1603 T. Dekker 1603: Wonderfull Yeare sig. A4 Banish these Word-pirates (you sacred mistresses of learning) into the gulfe of Barbarisme.

1939 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 27 Jan. 4/6 Jimmy Cannon was groaning about imitators and other word-pirates.

word-warrior n.

ΚΠ

1600 T. Nashe Summers Last Will 1447 Those word-warriers..Had their heads fild with coosning fantasies.

1711 tr. S. Werenfels Disc. Logomachys vi. 98 Lib. i. tells us of Heraclitus a great Word-warrior.

1866 H. P. Liddon Bampton Lect. (1867) i. 17 Professional word-warriors of the fourth and fifth centuries.

2002 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 28 Feb. 15/1 Orwell believed that..it had been Winston's exuberant humanity..as well as his long career as a word-warrior, that had taken a people, shaking with trepidation, and made of them comrades in arms.

(c) With the sense ‘done, executed, or conducted by means of words’.

word battle n.

ΚΠ

1845 ‘Young England’ Tracts for Manhood: On Regeneration 6 Assuredly therefore, by no vain Word-battle can this Regeneration secret ever be broken up.

1853 C. Kingsley Hypatia II. xii. 294 Not unwilling, like a philosopher and a Greek,..to embark in anything like a word-battle.

2007 Editor & Publisher Mag. (U.S.) (Nexis) 1 Aug. The site has a space for reader comments, which has to be monitored closely and was removed several times when comments turned into back-and-forth word battles.

word-jugglery n.

ΚΠ

1845 G. H. Lewes Biogr. Hist. Philos. I. 41 The word-jugglery of mysticism.

1999 S. Gardner Kant & ‘Critique of Pure Reason’ x. 331 Kant's failure to grasp the methodological primacy of language, according to Hamann and Herder, leads to the word-jugglery, the ‘metagrobolising’ of transcendental philosophy.

word-war n.

ΚΠ

1656 J. Trapp Comm. New Test. (ed. 2) (James xiv. 2) 906 Livy telleth us of the Athenians, that they waged Word-war against Philip.

1858 H. Coppée Elements of Logic x. 180 The disputatious spirit of the Greeks was as much concerned about the victory in logomachy or word-war, as about the discovery of truth.

1988 E. Cook (title) Poetry, word-play, and word-war in Wallace Stevens.

word-warfare n.

ΚΠ

1852 R. S. Bayley Course Lect. Inspiration Script. 65 If it [sc. the Bible] be not [explicit on Inspiration], all the word-warfare of the mere abstract reasoner can never break through the wall into the supernatural light.

1985 Stud. Eng. Lit. 1500–1900 25 820 Byron's word-warfare with the enemies of thought is..a kind of poetic anthropology concerned with man's language, biology, and politics.

word-wound n.

ΚΠ

1882 W. G. Dixon Land of Morning ix. 499 Sword-wounds may be healed, but word-wounds are beyond healing.

2005 State (Columbia, S. Carolina) (Nexis) 23 Jan. e8 Words can become weapons, which hurt, rather than heal, and deep down, the word-wounds fester.

word wrangle n.

ΚΠ

1643 C. Herle Answer to Fernes Reply 11 Indisposed to this kind of word wrangle.

1888 J. K. Hosmer Life Young Sir Henry Vane vii. 149 Cavaliers and Roundheads at length stood definitely opposed to each other, and the long word-wrangle deepened more and more into the thunderous tumult of war.

2007 Salt Lake Tribune (Nexis) 13 Jan. That world-class word wrangle warmed me up well for last Wednesday's public information session on Divine Strake at the Grand America Hotel.

b. Instrumental.

word-based adj.

ΚΠ

1939 A. P. Rossiter Growth of Sci. 30 A development from these observations (the argument being under the control of the word-based theory all the time) was that [etc.].

1963 J. Lyons Struct. Semantics ii. 11 A word-based grammar seems to be more satisfactory than a morpheme-based grammar for the description of languages of the ‘inflecting’ type.

2005 J. J. Jaegar Kid's Slips i. 18 Word-based errors..either consisted of one known word substituted for another known word..or of two known words blended together.

† word-beat v. Obsolete rare.

ΚΠ

1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper iii. 197 They revile, and word-beate our persons.

word-charged adj.

ΚΠ

1907 Macmillan's Mag. Sept. 868 Something, some influence begotten no doubt of the word-charged air, seemed to enter into him.

1990 A. Codrescu Disappearance of Outside 98 As the empires of the West were reconstituted post-World War I along image-based discoursive lines, their only challenge came from the word-charged periphery.

word-clad adj.

ΚΠ

1812 W. Tennant Anster Fair vi. lxi. 152 Sweet utterance of word-clad breath.

2004 Small Press Bookwatch (U.S.) (Nexis) 1 Oct. In her poetry, Crystal Bacon seeks to invoke feelings with word clad imagery that evokes a compelling authority by way of mind inspired, mythos influenced, thoughtfully emotional reader response.

word-drunk adj.

ΚΠ

1912 R. Kipling in London Mag. Apr. 23 Word-drunk people.

1964 Punch 15 Apr. 575/1 The word-drunk Don Adriano.

1997 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 13 July 18/1 The Mexican poet and playwright Carmen Boullosa makes her American debut in this word-drunk picaresque novel.

† word-pity v. Obsolete

ΚΠ

1642 T. Fuller Holy State i. iii. 8 Not so much word-pitying her, as providing necessaries for her.

† word-strooken adj. [ < word n. + strooken, variant of past participle of strike v.] Obsolete rare.

ΚΠ

1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue i. 263 Whilest he was hearing this sad storie..being so word-strooken to the heart.

word-wounded n. and adj.

ΚΠ

1810 G. Crabbe Borough iv. 63 When the Preacher..Dropt the new Word,..we heard the cry Of the Word-wounded.

1825 W. Tennant John Baliol v. iii. 142 Our excited and word-wounded ears.

1900 Bismarck (N. Dakota) Daily Tribune 23 Apr. 2/3 Love comes the once and not again, Word-wounded now, the heart is vain To heal the scar or dull the pain.

2005 Christian Cent. (Nexis) 12 July 43 I found Keizer's call for reticence to be balm for my word-wounded soul.

c. Objective.

(a)

word-bearer n.

ΚΠ

1846 R. C. Trench Notes Miracles xxxii. 442 The word-bearer for the rest of the apostles proves also, when occasion requires, the sword-bearer.

1995 Associated Press (Nexis) 26 Feb. More and more, I think people are word bearers... I think that's our mission in life... We're vessels for the word.

word-coiner n.

ΚΠ

1791 ‘P. Pindar’ Rights of Kings 20 This state of man [sc. cuckoldom]..Is not a situation of betweenity, As some word-coiners are dispos'd to call't.

1873 F. Hall Mod. Eng. 103 It is far too common, now-a-days, for young men, directly on being made free of a magazine, or of a newspaper, to commence word-coiners.

1935 Vanity Fair Nov. 38/1 There appears to be little leakage of their vernacular into even so ambitious a word-coiner as Variety.

2004 Independent 28 July 8/5 Hopkins, the great word-coiner, had his own expression for the intensity of existence of things, ‘inscape’.

word-hunter n.

ΚΠ

1755 tr. N. L. von Zinzendorf Expos. ii. 7 The Difference between a second Edition, and the first, seems of so little Consequence to some,..but, however, for Word-hunters the Disappointment will be very great.

1876 A. S. Palmer (title) Leaves from a Word-hunter's Note-book.

1955 Port Arthur (Texas) News 20 Mar. 6/2 How, then, did the term [sc. ‘eavesdropper’] originate? The word hunter finds that it goes back to the Anglo-Saxon word yfesdrype.

2007 Observer (Nexis) 6 May 22 Balderdash & Piffle..attracted..attention from dictionary detectives countrywide... Many of these fearless word-hunters [etc.].

word-lover n.

ΚΠ

1857 Youth's Mag. (N.Y.) 9 283 Stray words..start up on every side to the plodding word-lover, as he seeks to thread his way through the ‘maze of hoar antiquity’.

1937 E. Partridge Dict. Slang p. ix A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, i.e. of linguistically unconventional English, should be of interest to word-lovers.

2001 S. Fatsis Word Freak xxii. 352 He explains to other math-brained word lovers his concept of ‘supervocalics’, a word he coined.

word-maker n.

ΚΠ

?1592 Trag. Solyman & Perseda sig. B2 I thinke thou art a worde maker by thine occupation.

1674 R. Baxter Full & Easie Satisfaction iv. ii. 93 If you can name some notional speculator or Word-maker that hath said so, you think you have authority to renounce humanity by it.

1826 Monthly Mag. June 570 If all the languages of this..world were condensed into one little lexicon, and all its word-makers and philologists jumbled into one mountainous Samuel Johnson.

1935 Ogden (Utah) Standard-Examiner 6 Dec. 6 b /1 With a new device born every minute to make life easier, the word maker finds his job increasingly difficult.

2004 S. Nasta Writing across Worlds v. 59 It is a part of Achebe's belief in..the integrity of the storyteller..that in his novel such word-makers are the people's protectors.

word-sower n.

ΚΠ

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xv. 97 Forðæm heton woroldwise menn wordsawere ðone æðelan lareow Paulus.

1582 Bible (Rheims) Acts xvii. 18 What is it that this wordsower would say?

1830 S. Weston Annot. Sunday Lessons 406 Paul differed materially from the Athenian word sowers, as the seed he sowed produced fruit; but the Athenian nut had nothing in it.

1995 G. A. Bond Loving Subject v. 137 His [sc. Robert of Arbrissel's] eloquence in Angers before Urban II brought him apostolic status as ‘God's word-sower’ (seminiuerbius Dei) a year later.

word-spinner n.

ΚΠ

1785 W. Harrod & F. Peck Antiq. Stamford & St. Martin's II. iv. 382 These gentlemen are great Word spinners, having a wonderful faculty in making half a dozen words stand for one.

1887 W. Morris in J. W. Mackail Life W. Morris (1899) II. 187 I am an inveterate word-spinner.

1987 Listener 1 Oct. 36/2 There is something irresistible about the dissipated, helpless wordspinner, staggering towards the gutter.

word-stringer n.

ΚΠ

1850 T. A. Trollope Impress. Wanderer iv. 56 The emasculated tribe of word stringers.

1997 Philadelphia Inquirer (Nexis) 25 Feb. b1 All types of word-stringers are welcome—from poets, story-makers and essayists to journalists and technical writers.

word-weigher n.

ΚΠ

1805 S. Weston Moral Aphorisms p. xviii Rast..is applied equally to the key written, and the key spoken by a word-weigher, or orator.

1986 18th-Cent. Stud. 20 77 Not only the dunces, but the entire gaggle of word weighers in the political establishment must have combed every line for a misplaced comma or a misspelled word or a misconjugated verb.

word-wrester n. rare.

ΚΠ

1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (xii. 3) This dubblehartednesse..maketh men dubble~tunged & woordwresters.

2006 G. Barrett Official Dict. Unofficial Eng. p. v In June 2004 I turned my blog into a dictionary-oriented web site, which I named Double-Tongued Word Wrester.

(b)

word-breaking n.

ΚΠ

1758 J. Hoadly in Coll. Poems Several Hands V. 250 The courtier too hath some excuse To think word-breaking small abuse.

1825 W. Scott Betrothed vii, in Tales Crusaders I. 126 Better is an empty stomach..with a clear conscience, than a fatted ox with iniquity and word-breaking.

1897 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 28 114 Word-breaking as in the Sapphic strophe.

1971 R. Brewer Approach to Print x. 119 A number of devices..enable the operator to see and decide where a word can be broken for correct justification and proper word-breaking.

2006 Arkansas Democrat-Gaz. (Nexis) 2 Feb. Indeed, word-breaking is among the most serious of the problems people have communicating with each other, say relationship coaches and best-selling authors Susie and Otto Collins of Chillicothe, Ohio, who wrote Communication Magic and Creating Relationship Trust, among other books.

word-building n.

ΚΠ

1760 Battle of Reviews viii. 105 He sollicited a Partnership with his Countryman, and was admitted to an equal Partition of the Issues and Profits of Word-building.

1862 W. Barnes Tiw p. v The known course of Teutonic word-building.

1998 A. Dalby Dict. Langs. 626/2 Written Tibetan is influenced by the word-building and the sentence structure of Sanskrit.

word-chopping n.

ΚΠ

1858 Harvard Mag. Dec. 401 That Homeric epithet of our race, ‘word-dividing men’, is by no means inappropriate, since word-chopping is the employment of half our lives.

1943 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 37 1092 Waiving the question of the expediency of trying to define the limits of military authority within another nation, it is word-chopping to try to decide when departure from the chivalric code of battle is justifiable.

2004 New York Sun (Nexis) 15 Jan. 17 Lattimore's main weapon was always word-chopping. Rather than declare whether he is a supporter of the United States or forthrightly condemn Stalinism, he argues over the meaning of the words ‘leftist’ and ‘Communist’.

word-coining adj. and n.

ΚΠ

1617 R. Brathwait Smoaking Age in tr. ‘B. Multibibus’ Solemne Ioviall Disputation 150 Thus will the word-coyning [printed word-joyning; corrected in errata] Scholler grace thee.

1799 A. Seward Let. 30 Apr. (1811) V. xxxvi. 220 I have always seen genius manified, and imagination, or fancy, womanized. I hope you pardon word coining.

1887 H. R. Haggard Allan Quatermain ix A time-serving and word-coining politician.

1920 19th Cent. Mar. 482 Word-coining was then a common industry.

2004 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 19 Nov. A laissez-faire and careless usage of the language with the facile excuse of word-coining.

word-compelling adj.

ΚΠ

1842 E. Bulwer-Lytton Zanoni I. ii. i. 113 Working..the corollary from the logic of his word-compelling colleague.

1872 J. R. Lowell Dante in Prose Wks. (1890) IV. 139 The..word-compelling Dante.

1948 O. St. J. Gogarty Mourning became Mrs. Spendlove 217 Yeats hated hatred. This probably explains why one so word-compelling had few terms of invective or of scorn.

word-finding n.

ΚΠ

1878 J. M. Granville Common Mind-troubles 51 The mind is..too busy with a crowd of thoughts to maintain proper command of the word-finding function.

1938 Eng. Jrnl. 27 675 After drill in alphabetizing lists pupils are given repeated exercises in quick word-finding, emphasis being placed on keywords.

1998 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95 6500/2 During testing of spontaneous speech, he had word-finding difficulties, empty speech, paraphasias, and speech interruption.

word-hunting n.

ΚΠ

1753 J. Armstrong Taste 131 Those sacred groves where raptur'd spirits..in word-hunting waste the live-long day.

1863 Times 5 Sept. 11/3 The word-hunting of Bardo Bardi, the epistolary squabbling of Politian and Bartolommeo Scala, the literary trifling and the connoisseurship of the time.

1998 Amer. Speech 73 85 The Web continues to be an exciting place for word hunting.

word-juggling n.

ΚΠ

1855 H. H. Milman Hist. Lat. Christianity VI. xiv. iii. 468 Scotus, bewildered by his own skilful word juggling, perceives not this.

1912 Amer. Jrnl. Theol. 16 538 It is not mere word-juggling but an attempt to set forth the ultimate problems of life and to declare that they are to be solved not by reason but by faith.

2006 National Rev. (U.S.) (Nexis) 12 Sept. He used the kind of word juggling that gave us the phrase ‘what the meaning of is is’ to answer her questions about his Sudan story.

word-keeping n. and adj.

ΚΠ

1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 473 To make tryall of her faith, and word keeping.

1649 J. Hart Fort-royal of Script. (new ed.) 416/1 A Word-keeping heart.

1858 Wautoma (Wisconsin) Jrnl. 1 Dec. 1/2 Word-keeping is a cardinal virtue. So let your story be told.

1897 G. Sigerson tr. Bards of Gael & Gall xiv. ii. 366 With thy foes Be strong, word-keeping and sure.

2003 Financial Planning (Nexis) 1 June You will basically succeed or fail..to the degree to which you are able to keep your word. Take this word-keeping credo to the highest degree.

word-loving adj.

ΚΠ

1787 Retrospect Portraits in Short Rev. (rev. ed.) 80 The genius and fancy of this word-loving magician.

1838 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 47 Lawyers are a word-loving, quibbling, phrase-twisting race.

1996 Harper's Mag. Nov. 66/1 A tough-talking, word-loving man of grim affairs taking a moment to read and remember.

word preaching n. [compare Old English word-predicung preaching]

ΚΠ

1657 J. Watts Scribe, Pharisee i. 123 You cannot bring us of, from the word~preaching.

1873 Salvation sought, found, & Enjoyed vi. 63 The most powerful word-preaching that the world has ever listened to.

2006 Africa News (Nexis) 7 July The programme schedule includes special picnics and word preaching, youth camps and street evangelism.

word-selling adj. and n.

ΚΠ

1736 Gentleman's Mag. June 353/2 Dame Law..call'd over her Word-selling Crew.

1949 P. W. Burton et al. Advertising Copywriting viii. 137 What more could a copywriter desire in his quest for word-selling?

2006 Nelson Mail (N.Z.) (Nexis) 10 Aug. 3 The 29-year-old started the evolving novel titled Million Word Story on a website hoping to emulate the word-selling website created by Alex Tew.

word-setting n.

ΚΠ

1839 Monthly Mag. Dec. 705 The two succeeding pieces [of poetry] are not without a certain skill in word-setting—the rhythm at the conclusion of the second piece is exceedingly pleasing.

1930 Proc. Musical Assoc. 1930–1 (1966) 88 We find in his work harmonic progressions as bold as those of Marenzio, and word-setting as expressive and passionate as that of Monteverdi.

2005 New Yorker 28 Mar. 80/3 Here, finally, is urgent word-setting over pungent chords.

word-spinning n.

ΚΠ

1763 J. Langhorne Effusions Friendship & Fancy II. x. 74 It is worth while to observe this method of word-chacing or word spinning in the passage above quoted.

1872 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David III. Pref. p. v Huge folios, full of dreary wordspinning.

1999 P. Dias et al. Worlds Apart v. 98 Such word-spinning could be just a form of procrastination, putting off through over-verbalization the tough work of generating forms that will work.

word-splitting n.

ΚΠ

1835 A. T. Malkin Hist. Parallels II. i. 15 That eloquence, and skill in word-splitting, by which..it could be shown that a man could speak and be silent at the same time.

1949 Mod. Philol. 47 16 Other cases of the critic's word-catching or word-splitting, as in the hero's farewell to the dead Polonius, ‘I took thee for thy better’, or in Ophelia's lament after the nunnery scene, ‘And I of ladies most deject and wretched’.

2002 Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times (Nexis) 12 Nov. b6 France, Russia and China finally agreed, after more than two months of tedious negotiations and word-splitting, to endorse it.

word-twisting n.

ΚΠ

1847 A. Strickland Lives Queens of Eng. XI. 16 The adepts in making anagrams, or any other kind of word-twisting.

1920 D. H. Lawrence Women in Love xxiii. 339 I know your dodges. I am not taken in by your word-twisting.

2006 Guelph (Ont.) Mercury (Nexis) 26 Oct. a10 Your readers deserve..responsible reporting based on fact and truth, not assumptions, presumptions and word twisting.

word-wrangling n.

ΚΠ

1863 H. Tuttle Arcana of Nature (new ed.) II. xv. 204 Science laughs at such idle schemes, and the word-wrangling of metaphysicians, while it lays its sure foundation by facts.

1914 D. Crawford Thirsting After God iii. i. 152 Mere windy word-wrangling.

2006 Austin (Texas) Amer.-Statesman (Nexis) 10 Dec. j5 Dearen has been a good hand at word-wrangling for a long time, and this book is full of engaging stories.

C2.

word base n. Linguistics the simple form from which the derivatives and inflected forms of a word arise; the uninflected or unaffixed form of a word; = base n.¹ 9.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > stem or base

theme1530

thema1615

crude form1805

base1836

stem1851

base form1864

word base1865

kernel1894

stem-form1928

nucleus1932

base word1935

1865 S. S. Haldeman Affixes §65 Affixes..are of two kinds, prefixes, those at the beginning, and suffixes, those at the end of the word-bases to which they are affixed.

1931 C. L'Estrange Ewen Hist. Surnames of Brit. Isles xiv. 360 The root of Sanskrit and Pers. yuvan ‘young’ may well be one of the word-bases of Ewan, Owen [etc.].

1996 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 59 299 Proto-Austronesian..is..reconstructed as having a majority of word bases of the form CVCVC.

† word-bate n. [ < word n. + bate n.¹] Obsolete a dispute or argument about words.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > [noun] > quarrel about words

word-bate1610

1610 T. Morton Encounter against M. Parsons ii. ii. 35 After this M. Parsons returneth to his word-bate.

a1640 T. Jackson Exact Coll. Wks. (1654) 3155 Word-Bates, or Verbal Quarrels, arising from ambiguous or Unscholastick expressions of their Opinions or Conceipts.

1687 T. Tenison True Acct. Conf. Relig. 11 Mr. P. yielded it, and this word-bate ended.

word-blind adj. Medicine affected with word blindness.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [adjective] > specific disorders

tongue-tied1530

scanning1881

word-deaf1883

word-blind1888

paragraphic1899

paraphasic1899

adenoidal1908

telegraphic1916

adenoidy1926

paragrammatic1956

logorrhœic1960

paragrammatical1962

logorrhœtic1965

1888 Science 27 Jan. 43/1 The patient is not blind, but ‘word-blind’.

1967 Brain 90 138 The minor hemisphere appears to be alexic, word blind, word deaf, agraphic and astereognostic.

2007 Daily Mail (Nexis) 25 May 78 The books are still suitable only for women, of course, because doctors seem to believe that all male patients are word-blind.

word blindness n. [after German Wortblindheit (A. Kussmaul in H. von Ziemssen Handb. der speciellen Pathol. u. Therapie (1877) XII. 174)] Medicine the inability to understand written or printed words when seen, resulting from localized brain damage; = alexia n.; (also, gen.) dyslexia.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults

tongue-tiedness1598

plateasm1656

tongue-tying1762

paraphonia1772

lullaby-speech1822

cleft palate1847

paralalia1848

logoneurosis1857

zetacism1860

alogia1864

lallation1864

lambdacism1864

semi-mute1864

heterophemy1875

agrammatism1877

bradyphrasia1877

heterophasia1877

logopathy1877

paragraphia1877

paralexia1877

paraphasia1877

paraphrasia1877

verbigeration1877

recurring utterance1878

word blindness1878

word deafness1878

scanning1887

sigmatism1888

idioglossia1891

staccato utterance1898

word salad1904

palilalia1908

paragrammatism1924

idiolalia1930

dysprosody1947

Broca's aphasia1959

the world > health and disease > mental health > mental illness > degree or type of mental illness > [noun] > impairment of mental powers > inability to understand written words

word blindness1878

text-blindness1909

1878 tr. A. Kussmaul in A. H. Buck Ziemssen's Cycl. Pract. Med. XIV. 770 The patients..had not lost the power either of speaking or of writing; they were no longer able, however, although the hearing was perfect, to understand the words which they heard, or, although the sight was perfect, to read the written words which they saw. This morbid inability we will style, in order to have the shortest possible names at our disposition, word-deafness and word-blindness.

1926 Brain 49 120 Lesions that cause acalculia, or impossibility of calculation, are often very large and associated with word-blindness and agraphia.

1960 New Scientist 15 Sept. 738/2 There might be a special category of reading backwardness which could be..termed ‘specific dyslexia’—though the deplorable name of ‘word blindness’ should be avoided.

1967 Brain 90 147 The earlier cases of word blindness and deafness involved extensive cortical lesions in the dominant hemisphere.

2007 Evening Chron. (Newcastle) (Nexis) 6 June 26 The issue of word blindness is particularly close to her heart as her son is severely dyslexic.

† word-braving n. Obsolete boasting, idle talk.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pride > boasting or boastfulness > [noun]

yelpc888

yelpinga1050

roosingc1175

boastc1300

avauntment1303

avauntry1330

vauntingc1340

bragc1360

avauntingc1380

boastingc1380

avauntance1393

angarda1400

bragging1399

vaunta1400

crackingc1440

crackc1450

crowing1484

jactancea1492

vaunterya1492

bragancea1500

gloriation?1504

blasta1513

vousting1535

braggery?1571

jactation1576

self-boasting1577

thrasonism1596

braggartry1598

braggartism1601

jactancy1623

braggadocianism1624

blazing1628

jactitation1632

word-braving1642

rodomontadea1648

fanfaronade1652

superbiloquence1656

vapouring1656

rodomontading1661

blow1684

goster1703

gasconade1709

gasconading1709

vauntingness1727

braggadocioa1734

Gasconism1744

Gascoigny1754

braggade1763

gostering1763

penny trumpet1783

cockalorum?a1792

boastfulness1810

vauntage1818

bull-flesh1820

blowing1840

vauntiness1851

kompology1854

loud-mouthing1858

skite1860

gabbing1869

mouth1891

buck1895

skiting1916

boosterism1926

1642 T. Fuller Holy State iii. xvii. 195 A word-braving, or scorning of all wealth in discourse.

word-breaker n. a person who fails to keep a promise, pledge, etc.

ΚΠ

1747 in Lett. Westm. Jrnl. 192 It hath been declared unto me of ye, my Brethren,..that ye are Time-servers, Deceivers, and Word breakers.

1825 W. Scott Betrothed iii, in Tales Crusaders I. 45 The promiser..escapes not the sin of a word-breaker, because he hath been a drunken braggart.

1939 S. Pribichevich World without End ii. iv. 322 There is no greater shame for an Albanian than to break a pledge..; the word-breaker is an outcast.

1999 Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 20 Apr. 10 Its ads put him in a lineup with recent presidential word-breakers.

† word bridger n. Obsolete rare an abridger (cf. bridge v.²).

ΚΠ

a1382 Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) xxxvii. 128 Recapytulatour, word bregger.

word-catcher n. (a) a person who catches or cavils at words, a petty or carping critic (now rare); (b) a person who catches or makes a collection of words.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > lexicography > [noun] > lexicographer

dictionary-maker1567

dictionarist1617

lexicographer1658

word-catcher1659

dictionary writer1742

dictionarian1797

lexicographista1843

the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > [noun] > critic > captious

plucker-atc1500

pick-fault1544

pick mote1549

trip-taker1556

mome1563

Momus1563

Zoilus1565

find-fault1567

caviller1574

carper1579

sheep-biter?1589

Zoilist1594

momist1597

word-catcher1659

knocker1898

crabber1909

kvetch1936

tearer-downer1942

nitpicker1951

kvetcher1968

1659 H. L'Estrange Alliance Divine Offices 134 Had this word-catcher searched into Antiquity he might have seen Clemens thus bespeaking the Corinthians.

1734 A. Pope Epist. to Arbuthnot 166 The Word-catcher that lives on syllables.

1835 R. Garnett Philol. Ess. (1859) 8 Of this sort of knowledge—the very foundation of all rational etymology—our word-catchers [sc. lexicographers] do not seem to have had the smallest tincture.

1836 Southern Literary Messenger 2 111/2 We knew a vagrant word-catcher to have in his list of Virginianisms Good bye t' ye, a phrase purely Shakspearian.

1883 A. B. Muzzey Reminisc. & Memorials Men of Revol. xx. 346 ‘Everett’, he once said to me, ‘is a great word-catcher’.

1978 Amer. Speech 53 191 We must not be content to define our standard either by the shibboleths of word-catchers or by the blind practice of the powerful.

2002 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 28 Aug. 46 Sproutarians, the wordcatcher in me was intrigued to discover, confine their diet to sprouted seeds, bean sprouts, wheat and broccoli.

word-catching adj. and n. now rare (a) adj. given to or characterized by catching at words, pedantic, carping; (b) n. petty criticism, pedantry.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > [noun] > captious

plitchinga1400

carpingc1400

cavillation1532

pinching1532

nibbling?1577

Zoilism1609

carp1618

snagging1642

find-faulting1654

word-catching1713

pickthanking1861

kvetchingc1950

nitpicking1951

1713 C. Upton Let. 14 Feb. in J. Kirkpatrick Hist. Ess. Loyalty Presbyterians ii. iv. 474 This Word-Catching Author..after all is Capable to make no greater Discovery of my Disloyalty, Jacobitism and Commonwealth Principles.

1729 in R. Savage Author to be Lett sig. A3^v Is not Word-catching more serviceable in splitting a Cause, than explaining a fine Poet?

a1849 W. E. Burton Let. in G. E. Woodberry Life E. A. Poe (1909) I. vi. 241 I think you yourself would not have written the article on Dawes, in a more healthy state of mind... I regretted your word-catching spirit.

a1874 C. W. S. Brooks Naggletons (1875) vi. 45 That is just your vulgar habit of word-catching, which, excuse me, Henry, is quite apart from the manners of good society.

1961 J. W. Draper Stratford to Dogberry ii. 15 In their malapropisms and their word-catching, they suggest the commedia dell'arte, somewhat Anglicized.

word category n. Linguistics = word class n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > [noun]

partOE

part of reasonc1450

party of reasonc1450

part of speech1517

word class1882

word category1883

word-type1936

1883 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 4 31 Originally oxytone word-categories may become paroxytone in some one language.

1938 B. L. Whorf in Language 14 275 Word Category; a category (overt or covert or mixed) which delimits one of a primary hierarchy of word classes each of limited membership (not coterminous with entire vocabulary), e.g. the familiar ‘parts of speech’ of Indo-European and many other languages, vs. Modulus Category; one which modifies, either any word of the vocabulary, or any word already allocated to a delimited class, e.g. voices, aspects, cases.

2002 Mod. Lang. Jrnl. 86 144/2 After analyzing word categories from oral and written perspectives, the authors raise the possibility of diglossia as oral and written French become increasingly dissimilar.

word centre n. Anatomy (now historical and rare) each of certain centres in the brain involved in the understanding and production of spoken and written language.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > psychology > mental image > [noun] > part of brain controlling words

word centre1880

1880 H. C. Bastian Brain xxix. 616 The Auditory Word-Centres, the Visual Word-Centres, and the double Kinæsthetic Word-Centres (viz., those in relation with the movements for Speech and for Writing) are, of course, only parts, though probably distinct and extensive parts of the respective cerebral Centres for Audition, Vision, and Kinæsthesia generally.

1957 Lancet 18 May 1018/1 Her word centre at one time was greatly disturbed, giving the impression that she was rather more severely demented than she actually was.

1986 J. Doris in S. J. Ceci Handbk. Cognitive, Social & Neuropsychol. Aspects Learning Disabilities I. i. 14 The problem in the remediation of word-blindness was to address the issue of the weakness of the visual word center.

word class n. [probably after German Wortklasse (1817)] chiefly Linguistics a category of words of similar form or syntactic characteristics; esp. a part of speech.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > [noun]

partOE

part of reasonc1450

party of reasonc1450

part of speech1517

word class1882

word category1883

word-type1936

1882 E. Channing tr. A. F. Pott in tr. B. Delbrück Introd. Study Lang. v. 74 A root is an abstraction of all word-classes and their differences.

1914 L. Bloomfield Introd. Study Lang. iv. 109 Other word classes which are not expressed by formational similarity.

1924 O. Jespersen Philos. Gram. iv. 61 We have a great many words which can belong to one word-class only: admiration, society, life can only be substantives [etc.].

1953 C. E. Bazell Ling. Form vi. 76 The so-called parts of speech (still more inappropriately word-classes) are classes of stem-morpheme.

1998 Euralex '98 Proc. I. ii. 261 All of the general properties shared by whole word classes..are assumed to be within the competence of the grammar rather than of the lexicon.

word count n. an act of counting the number of words in a particular text, vocabulary, etc.; the number obtained in this way; (in later use also) a statistical study of word frequency.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > number or frequency of words

word count1913

word frequency1917

wordage1919

1913 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 44 25 In the Dionysos-hymn of the women of Elis,..we have a tripudic word-count by twos and threes and fours, with the long syllable instead of the acute stress to signalize the main count or ictus in each word-foot.

1922 Classical Jrnl. 17 265 The only scientific way of determining this is by a word count analogous to that conducted by Dr. Lodge on the relative value of Latin words on the basis of frequency of occurrence in the Latin authors read.

1932 Evening Huronite (S. Dakota) 18 June 9/6 It covers 3,300 pages of testimony and 1,200 pages of depositions, a total word count of 1,125,000 words.

1957 Eng. Lang. Teaching (British Council) 12 1.10 There are valuable word-counts which give a clear picture of the relative importance of specific words in our total lexicon.

1997 J. Coe House of Sleep (1998) iv. 74 Terry performed a quick word-count on his computer, and found that he had already used up almost a third of his review space.

wordcraft n. the art of using words; literary or oratorical skill.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > [noun] > sense of language > art of using words

rhetoricc1330

wordcraft1804

wordsmanship1917

OE Cynewulf Elene 592 He is for eorðan æðeles cynnes, wordcræftes wis ond witgan sunu, bald on meðle.

1804 J. Collins Scripscrapologia A 3 A Noviciate in the Science of Word-craft.

1894 Athenæum 22 Dec. 863/2 The French school of literary critics of life..have been curious in their wordcraft.

1932 R. M. Lovett & H. S. Hughes Hist. Novel in Eng. xv. 444 All [these books] display his erudition, his word-craft, and to some extent partake of the fantastic strain.

2000 Heritage Feb. 38/3 His poetic works perhaps offer the best view of this outstanding wordcraft, unencumbered by the constraints of plot and performance.

word-deaf adj. (and n.) [after German worttaub (1882 in the passage translated in quot. 1883); compare earlier word deafness n.] Medicine affected with word deafness; also as n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [adjective] > specific disorders

tongue-tied1530

scanning1881

word-deaf1883

word-blind1888

paragraphic1899

paraphasic1899

adenoidal1908

telegraphic1916

adenoidy1926

paragrammatic1956

logorrhœic1960

paragrammatical1962

logorrhœtic1965

1883 J. P. Cassells tr. A. Politzer Dis. Ear & Adjacent Organs 759 A woman..who was word-deaf, having two years previously, after violent headaches, lost both speech and hearing, and later exhibited signs of mental disturbance.

1943 W. de la Mare in Trans. Royal Soc. Lit. 20 77 Since children are chiefly taught in words, the word-deaf among them may remain apparent dunces.

1967 Brain 90 138 In tests like the foregoing the minor hemisphere appears to be alexic, word blind, word deaf, agraphic and astereognostic.

2000 Washington Post (Nexis) 30 Mar. v2 Annie has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. She is also word deaf and cannot speak.

word deafness n. [after German Worttaubheit (A. Kussmaul in H. von Ziemssen Handb. der speciellen Pathol. u. Therapie (1877) XII. 174)] Medicine the inability to understand the meaning of spoken words, owing to localized brain damage.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults

tongue-tiedness1598

plateasm1656

tongue-tying1762

paraphonia1772

lullaby-speech1822

cleft palate1847

paralalia1848

logoneurosis1857

zetacism1860

alogia1864

lallation1864

lambdacism1864

semi-mute1864

heterophemy1875

agrammatism1877

bradyphrasia1877

heterophasia1877

logopathy1877

paragraphia1877

paralexia1877

paraphasia1877

paraphrasia1877

verbigeration1877

recurring utterance1878

word blindness1878

word deafness1878

scanning1887

sigmatism1888

idioglossia1891

staccato utterance1898

word salad1904

palilalia1908

paragrammatism1924

idiolalia1930

dysprosody1947

Broca's aphasia1959

1947 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 60 463 Interesting records of word-deafness, word-blindness and congenital lack of speech are described.

1994 S. Pinker Lang. Instinct x. 313 There is a specific syndrome called Pure Word Deafness that is exactly what it sounds like: the patients can read and speak, and can recognize environmental sounds like..animals' cries, but cannot recognize spoken words.

† word-dearthing adj. Obsolete rare producing a dearth of words, involving a great expenditure of words.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose

wordyOE

of many wordsc1350

windya1382

diffused?a1475

word-dearthing1593

verbosious1601

worded1602

wordish1604

diffuse1612

wording1615

diffusive1624

verbose1665

baggy1866

talky1937

waffling1945

1593 T. Nashe Christs Teares f. 32 Thys huge word-dearthing taske.

word-fence n. now rare verbal jousting.

ΚΠ

1852 Monthly Christian Spectator Oct. 596 A very clever book, in which are many astonishing feats of logic, and triumphs of word-fence.

1899 W. S. Blunt Satan Absolved 11 Truce, Gabriel, to thy word fence.

1938 W. B. Otis & M. H. Needleman Surv.-hist. Eng. Lit. xi. 174 Lyly served as a model for Shakespeare's word-fence and wit-combats.

word-field n. [after German Wortfeld (J. Trier, 1931)] Linguistics a group of lexical items (sometimes spec. of morphologically simple ones) seen as associated in meaning because occurring in similar contexts.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > group of words with associated meaning

semantic field1914

word-field1934

1934 R. H. Fife in Exper. & Stud. in Mod. Lang. Teaching 5 Both writers [sc. Saussure and Weisberger] deal with the word as a nominalistic phenomenon which draws about itself a conceptual group, thus forming a ‘word-field’.

1965 Amer. Speech 40 62 Job is not identical with Arbeit; it stands at the lowest level of this word-field.

1991 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 36 118 Lexical gaps in word-fields may easily be filled with complex lexemes, transforming the word-field into a lexical field.

word-final adj. and n. Linguistics (a) n. a letter or sound occurring at the end of a word; (b) adj. of, relating to, or occurring in this position.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > letter or sound at beginning or end of word

word-final1879

word-initial1889

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position

word-final1879

word-initial1889

word-medial1935

1879 W. D. Whitney Sanskrit Gram. §152 A stem-final or word-final is in general to be regarded as having, not its etymological form, but that given it by the rules as to permitted finals.

1912 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 33 223 ‘Wernicke's Law’ says that the 4th foot of a hexameter must not end in a syllable made long by position by the union of a word-final with a following initial consonant.

1941 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 61 48/2 The retraction of the tongue..was no doubt due to the word-final position and the influence of certain following consonants.

1977 G. P. Delahunty in D. Ó Muirithe Eng. Lang. in Ireland 132 Devoicing of word-final voiced consonants.

2002 Y. Matras Romani iv. 54 The most common development affecting voice is the devoicing of stops in word-final position.

word-finally adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-final position.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word

word-finally1945

word-medially1945

word-initially1946

word-internally1954

1945 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 11 32/1 Word finally as the final member of a vowel cluster, this phoneme is less open.

1992 D. Gutch in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 570 The unstressed sequence -er is realized preconsonantally and word-finally as a low form of [ə].

word-flowing adj. rare fluent in the use of words.

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1680 R. L'Estrange tr. Cicero Offices i. 71 Crassus..was a word-flowing Speaker [L. uberior oratio L. Crassi].

2006 Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) 12 Mar. g2/1 Between 1971 and 1973, when the famed Pleasant Hill author of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest’..was in his late 30s and his word-flowing prime.

word form n. a (particular) form of a word; esp. each of the possible forms taken by a given lexeme, typically distinguished by their grammatical inflections.

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1840 Western Messenger Nov. 312 Our Evangelist..personified word-forms in the heads of speculative Egyptians, Syrians, Jews and Persians.

1858 G. Bush Notes on Bk. of Numbers xi. 147/2 The doubling of word-forms in the Heb[rew], as in other Eastern languages, intensifies the meaning, and makes them equivalent to superlatives.

1952 Mind 61 239 As society discovers..that judgments imputing responsibility..are never justified, the word-form ‘responsibility’ comes to change its meaning.

2000 Terminol. Work: Vocab. (B.S.I.) ii. 3/1 If the class is defined as all word forms..of ‘good’, then all the occurrences of the word forms ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘best’ are tokens.

word-formation n. the formation of the words of a language; an instance or episode of this.

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the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [noun]

word-formation1839

1839 G. Bush Gram. Hebrew Lang. (ed. 2) i. iii. 47 This principle is most deeply interwoven with the whole system of word-formations.

1853 W. D. Whitney in Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 3 296 Its grammatical peculiarities run through all departments: euphonic rules, word-formation and composition, declension, conjugation, syntax.

1884 Cust in 13th Addr. Philol. Soc. 77 The oldest phase of the Hæmitic Word-formation.

1928 C. Bergener Contrib. Study Conversion of Adjs. into Nouns 1 I have..made an attempt..to ascertain the productivity of this mode of word-formation during the different periods of the language.

1998 Word 49 22 The German neologizer..routinely used forms common in modern German word-formation.

word-formational adj. of, relating to, or involving word-formation.

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the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [adjective]

rhematic1841

word-formative1877

word-formational1933

1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xiii. 222 The outer, inflectional layer is represented by the construction of actress with [-ez], and the inner, word-formational layer by the remaining constructions, of actor with -ess and of act with [r̩].

1948 L. Spitzer Linguistics & Lit. Hist. ii. 81 Thus Cervantes has expressed his perspectivistic vision in a word-formational pattern of the Renaissance reserved for hybrids.

1997 Language 73 459 Kriyol passivization appears to be an entirely productive, word formational process with no use of any passive auxiliary.

word-formative adj. conducive to or involving word-formation.

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the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [adjective]

rhematic1841

word-formative1877

word-formational1933

1877 H. Bendall tr. A. Schleicher Compar. Gram. II. ii. 162 The stem- and word-formative suffixes also in Indo-European have arisen from originally independent roots by coalescence with other roots.

1976 Archivum Linguisticum 7 129 Zero-derivation..must be regarded an extremely productive word-formative process both in English and German, but also in other languages.

word frequency n. the frequency with which a word occurs in a given text or corpus.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > number or frequency of words

word count1913

word frequency1917

wordage1919

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > referring to frequency of words

word frequency1917

1917 L. W. Rapeer Teaching Elem. School Subj. iii. 64 (caption) A cumulative curve for word frequencies in written discourse.

1974 E. G. Bedford & R. J. Dilligan Concordance Poems Alexander Pope II. 669/1 A six-page analytic table showing word-frequency distribution and the ratio between each word and the number of its occurrences.

2002 R. Plomp Intelligent Ear v. 111 There are large differences in how often we use the words we know, and word frequencies vary substantially between speaking and writing.

word-geographical adj. of, relating to, or dealing with word geography.

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the mind > language > linguistics > other schools of linguistics > [adjective] > linguistic geography or dialectology

dialectological1850

word-geographical1950

1950 B. Sundby Dial. & Provenance Owl & Nightingale 16 An attempt has been made to test the vocabulary from a word-geographical viewpoint.

2000 Mod. Lang. Rev. 95 257 In the five word-geographical volumes of over 1000 maps..the emphasis is naturally on lexical features and on material culture.

word geography n. the study of the regional distribution of words and phrases; a treatise dealing with this.

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the mind > language > linguistics > other schools of linguistics > [noun] > linguistic geography or dialectology

dialectology1820

linguistic geography1867

word geography1911

1911 Proc. Mod. Lang. Assoc. 26 App. p. xxxvi Word-geography and word-history as illustrations of the newer point of view.

1949 H. Kurath (title) A word geography of the Eastern United States.

1999 Amer. Speech 74 102 The authors place word geography into a wider linguistic and cultural context.

word group n. [compare German Wortgruppe (1816 or earlier)] (a) a group of words; (b) Grammar = group n. 8.

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the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > syntax or word order > syntactic unit or constituent > [noun] > other specific syntactic constituents

terminant1589

absolute1709

adjectival1866

word group1871

nexus1924

immediate constituent1933

case marker1941

syndeton1954

group1959

placeholder1964

1871 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 1869–70 64 Mere translation will not exhibit its construction or afford a trustworthy basis of comparison with word-groups in other languages.

1897 E. Anwyl Welsh Gram. §19 The unit of connected speech is..the word-group; e.g. in English, ‘what-do-you-want?’

2003 P. Wilson Hieroglyphs (2004) vi. 91 Champollion continued to collect texts and work through them, dividing out the word groups and applying each new piece of information as he found it.

word-grubber n. a critic, esp. one who is overly exacting about details; (also) a person who uses difficult or obscure words.

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1765 G. A. Stevens Celebrated Lect. on Heads (new ed.) 44 From the Tea-table Critic, we proceed to the Learned Critic, or Word-grubber.

1869 W. L. Blackley Word Gossip xv. 211 For nothing possible is improbable to a thorough word grubber.

1926 W. R. Castle Ess. Memory Barrett Wendell 3 They read through microscopes, searching for faults rather than for beauty... They are the word-grubbers of literature, exalting the text above the thought expressed by the text.

1994 B. R. Hopkins Nonprofit Law Dict. Pref. p. ix I wanted to call these brief remarks the ‘Prolegomena’, but they made me stay with ‘Preface’. This process, to my colleagues' dismay, has caused me to become a word-grubber.

word index n. a list of the words used by a given author, or occurring in a given work (or corpus), usually with references to the passages in which they occur but without quotations (cf. concordance n. 6b).

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society > communication > book > matter of book > [noun] > index

repertory1542

elench1570

index1580

Yellow Pages1871

word index1880

thumb-index1903

thumb-register1904

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > lexicography > [noun] > list of key-words

word index1880

thesaurus1957

1880 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 1 213 Klatt gives some account of the linguistic peculiarities of this first specimen of a Jainastotra written in Prakrit, and appends a word-index (Prakrit-Sanskrit).

1937 M. L. Hanley (title) Word index to James Joyce's Ulysses.

1960 Amer. Speech 35 215 A lamentable deficiency is the lack of a full word index.

1987 G. Dixon (title) The Gilbert and Sullivan concordance: a word index to W. S. Gilbert's libretti for the fourteen Savoy Operas.

2002 Mod. Lang. Rev. 97 479 A MHG [= Middle High German] word index provides ready access to individual points of the commentary.

word-initial adj. and n. Linguistics (a) adj. occurring at the beginning of a word; (b) n. a letter or sound occurring in this position.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > letter or sound at beginning or end of word

word-final1879

word-initial1889

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position

word-final1879

word-initial1889

word-medial1935

1889 R. M'Lintock in Phonetische Studien 2 213 It..appears that when Mr Sweet says ‘initial’ he means, not ‘word-initial’, but ‘phrase-initial’.

1918 A. W. Aron in C. Hockett Leonard Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 58 These variations in word-initial [in Irish] do depend on the phonetic character of the original preceding word-final.

1926 L. Bloomfield in S. Saporta & J. R. Bastian Psycholinguistics (1961) 29/2 English word-initial [st-].

1981 Notes & Queries Oct. 398/1 A large number of unexplained intersubstitutions of c and g in word-initial position.

2007 South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) 1 Sept. 4 This would entail teaching children to identify rhymes, word-initial sounds and word-final sounds.

word-initially adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-initial position.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word

word-finally1945

word-medially1945

word-initially1946

word-internally1954

1946 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 12 63/1 All clusters with y except šy and ry have been found word initially.

1984 Amer. Speech 59 342 The r..was usually a tap, even word-initially, rather than a vocoid.

word-internally adv. = word-medially adv.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word

word-finally1945

word-medially1945

word-initially1946

word-internally1954

1954 G. E. Nye Phonemes & Morphemes Mod. Persian 15 Word-internally contiguous to consonants.

1992 D. Gutch in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 570 This glottal stop is normally retained word-internally when a vowel-initial form receives a prefix or constitutes the second element of a compound.

word ladder n. a puzzle in which a given word is to be converted into another by way of a series of words each formed by changing just one letter of its predecessor (cf. doublet n. 4d).In quot. 1890 a ladder-shaped set of stars to be replaced with words in the same manner as a crossword puzzle.

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society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles

riddleOE

logogriph1598

rebus1605

name-device1631

telesticha1637

lipogram1711

charade1776

conundrum1790

logogram1820

anagrams?1860

acrostic1861

metagram1867

word square1867

verbarian1872

jumble-letters1899

word ladder1928

Double-Crostic1934

word search1957

hangman1961

1890 Manch. Weekly Times 29 Aug. 6/7 Word ladder. Substitute letters for stars.]

1928 Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald 19 Mar. 20/5 Cross word puzzles, acrostics and word ladders are the fads of the day.

1958 Birmingham Mail 27 Jan. 6/7 Today's puzzle is for your shortest Word Ladder from Head to Body. It can be done in five easy steps without using any unusual words.

2000 Vancouver Sun (Nexis) 24 Apr. c12 Using the hints, go from COLD to WARM by changing one letter at each step of the word ladder.

word length n. the length of a word as measured by the number of letters in it; (also) the length of a text as measured by the number of words in it; (Computing) the number of bits or (formerly) digits in a word (sense A. 13d), now typically 16, 32, or 64, but formerly fewer.

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society > computing and information technology > data > [noun] > unit of > as word

word length1887

word1946

machine word1954

1887 Science 11 Mar. 243/2 A friend has furnished me with the result of the count of the first five thousand five hundred words of Caesar's ‘Commentaries’. The mean word-length is 6.065.

1938 I. Goldberg Wonder of Words xvii. 354 We instinctively ask for variation in sentence-length; we instinctively ask, indeed, for variation in word-length, for variation in accent and pitch.

1949 Math. Tables & Other Aids Computation 3 428 The word length of both numbers and orders in this machine is 44 binary characters.

1987 B. Leatham-Jones Elements Industr. Robotics iv. 94 The ASCII code... A 7-bit word length is thus used which can accommodate many more characters.

1995 Guardian 14 July (Friday Review section) 2/1 The interview also seemed to have been a short one: description and analysis by the interviewer accounted for rather more of the total wordlength.

2000 F. H. Sumner in R. Rojas & U. Hashagen First Computers iv. 388 There was a parity bit with each half-word giving a total word length of 50 bits.

word-magic n. (a) enchanting or enthralling use of words; a powerful effect achieved by means of words; (b) Cultural Anthropology magic thought to be exerted by the knowledge or use of the proper name or term for something, or the supposed magical property residing in such a name.

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the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > magical property of a name

word-magic1848

1848 J. S. Smith Mirabeau II. iv. xv. 303 The mighty man who out-thundered his everlasting word-magic from the tribune of the French Assembly.

1895 Littell's Living Age 20 Apr. 170/1 Then it is that we meet, as in the ‘Ballad of a Nun’, with a descriptive stanza so full of a wonderful word-magic.

1923 C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards Meaning of Meaning ii. 42 The earlier writers are full of the relics of primitive word-magic. To classify things is to name them..to know their names is to have power over their souls.

1938 S. Chase Tyranny of Words iv. 37 Here, to follow Malinowski, we note the seeds of word magic, in which the name gives power over the person or thing it signifies.

1960 H. Read Forms of Things Unknown vii. 121 The name he chooses is magically apt, and in word-magic we must acknowledge the primordial intensive aspect of poetry.

2002 N. Tosches In Hand of Dante 113 It was as if I felt that, through a sort of word-magic, if I wrote my future, it might come to pass.

word-medial n. and adj. Linguistics (a) n. a position in the middle of a word; (b) adj. of, relating to, or occurring in such a position.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position

word-final1879

word-initial1889

word-medial1935

1935 Language 11 32 ʔ in syl. initial (phonetically comparable to h in Eng. help) occurs in word-initial as well as word-medial.

1946 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 12 41/1 Glottal stop..can occur before any word-medial or word-final single consonant or cluster.

1974 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 40 129/1 When this syllable pattern occurs in word-medial, t and m are added.

2002 Nat. Lang. & Ling. Theory 20 500 Vowels in initial and final syllables are longer and articulated more strongly than vowels in word-medial syllables.

word-medially adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-medial position.

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the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word

word-finally1945

word-medially1945

word-initially1946

word-internally1954

1945 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 11 32/1 Word medially preceding i, the voiced bilabial fricative is always used.

1968 Language 44 532 A variety of further clusters occurred word-medially.

2002 Oceanic Linguistics 41 223 We have so far recorded only one example of an ejective stop appearing either word-medially or in post-consonantal position.

word method n. Education (now chiefly historical) the ‘look-and-say’ method of teaching reading (see look v. Phrases 3b).

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society > communication > reading > [noun] > reading lesson > methods of teaching reading

word method1848

phonics1901

1848 J. R. Webb John's First Bk. 19 The Word Method,..heretofore used, may be continued.

1879 Amer. Missionary Feb. 56/1 Joe took his first lesson in learning by means of the word method, and limped off spelling the word ‘so’.

1932 in E. Blyton Mod. Teaching in Infant School v. 62 The Word Method, or the Look-and-say Method.

1996 J. L. Leloudis Schooling New South i. 31 Proponents of the word method held spelling skills in low esteem, teaching them only ‘for convenience and not for mental culture’.

word-mill n. [apparently originally after French moulin à paroles (1765 in the French version of the text cited in quot. 1765)] a garrulous or talkative person; (humorously) the supposed mechanism by means of which such a person produces his or her words; (also) an institution in which words are produced in great quantity.

ΚΠ

1765 J. Lockman Entertaining Instructor 221 She also said of a lady, who indeed talked much, but well also, that she was a word-mill [Fr. que c'étoit un moulin à paroles].

1853 C. G. F. Gore Dean's Daughter xxiv Do not give Miss Mordaunt reason to suppose me the only word-mill in the family!

1885 Puck (N.Y.) 29 July 343 Shut off your word-mill and take a tumble!

1943 Jrnl. Southern Hist. 9 528 Knowing little of the treatises on slavery, pro or con, they filled their columns day after day with the products of the word-mill on Capitol Hill.

1989 Anthropol. & Educ. Q. 20 107 Madame Durand revealed her cynicism when she called a doctor's son a ‘word mill’ who cranked out the answers without thinking.

2004 G. Samuelsson-Brown Pract. Guide Translators (ed. 4) (back cover) To view translation as a highly-qualified, skilled profession and not just a cost-led word mill.

word-music n. pleasing or beautiful combination of words; poetic effect; poetry.

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1830 T. Wade Jew of Arragon v. iv. 80 Thy lips are idly ope, for balmy breath Of sighs, nor sweet word-music, ever more Shall pass from their deep-crimson.

1855 ‘G. Eliot’ in Westm. Rev. Oct. 596 As long as the English language is spoken, the word-music of Tennyson must charm the ear.

1895 G. B. Shaw in Sat. Rev. 30 Mar. 413/1 M. Maeterlinck's fragile word-music.

1962 Observer 22 Apr. 23/4 The ailing cause of Shakespeare-designed-to-be-read-as-word-music.

2003 L. Faderman Naked in Promised Land xv. 269 I could spend my days contemplating Donne's wit and Swinburne's word-music.

word-pecker n. [perhaps punningly after woodpecker n.] chiefly humorous a person who trifles or plays with, or quibbles over, words.

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society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > ornateness > [noun] > wordmongering > one who

wordmonger1590

lettermonger1592

parolist1604

logodaedalus1611

word-pecker1649

vocabularian1899

1649 A. Marvell in R. Lovelace Lucasta sig. a7 Word-peckers, Paper-rats, Book-scorpions, Of wit corrupted, the unfashion'd Sons.

1673 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd ii. 255 You are..a meer Word-pecker.

1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Word-pecker, one that play's with Words.

1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue Word Pecker, A punster, one who plays upon words.

1810 C. Lamb Let. 10 Mar. in Lett. C. & M. A. Lamb (1978) III. 47 I have picked out what I think blemishes, but they are but a score of words (I am a mere word pecker) in six times as many pages.

1930 Forum Dec. 375/2 Consider the birth of the modern snappy comeback, nifty, and wise-crack. We owe it to the ambitious word-peckers of a past generation.

2004 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 4 May 7 What a marvellously bizarre collection it is... It is of special interest to word peckers such as myself and The Dazzle.

word-perfect adj. knowing perfectly every word of one's part in a play, a text for recitation, etc.

ΘΚΠ

society > education > learning > [adjective] > having learned perfectly

word-perfect1864

1864 Dawson's Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daily Times 23 Jan. 3/1 They have the ability to do better, and should be as near word-perfect as possible in each play, before they appear in it.

1894 ‘J. S. Winter’ Red Coats 104 [He] had gone over, with care and loving attention, every little trifling detail of this interview, until he might fairly have been described as ‘word-perfect’.

1999 Financial Times 9 Oct. (FT Weekend section) p. vi/3 A new generation of students, born when Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast, are..word perfect on the Paid Arguer sketch and, of course, the parrot sketch.

word picture n. a vivid description in words, presenting the described object to the mind like a picture; cf. word painting n.The expression is not used by Lamartine (see quot. 1835).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > narration > description or act of describing > [noun] > graphic or vivid > a vivid description

imagec1522

picture1531

portraiture1592

portrait1596

word picture1835

photograph1841

pen portrait1850

society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > other non-story prose > [noun] > short sketch or description

portraiture1650

word picture1835

cameo1851

thumbnail sketch1852

vignette1880

pastel1890

1835 Waldie's Sel. Circulating Libr. Best Pop. Lit. ii. 184 The volumes [of Lamartine's Pilgrimage to the Holy Land] consist of a series of ‘Word-pictures’ often startling by their vivid colours, always powerfully sketched.

1846 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. Mar. 193/1 ‘Would that Carlyle could now try his hand at the English Revolution!’ was my exclamation, on laying down the last volume of his remarkable ‘History of the French Revolution’, with its brilliant and startling word-pictures still flashing before my vision.

1871 E. M. Lawson Rina Cliffe x. 40 ‘It was a word-picture,’ replied Linda; ‘we can look at it as we cross this last quiet meadow, for I copied a few sentences just to give you an idea of it.’

1928 Cent. Mag. May 127/1 Which of them has ever told us about it in such moving word-pictures as this young extern?

1968 H. S. Thompson Let. 9 May in Fear & Loathing in Amer. (2000) 69 You could probably get a pretty quick and accurate word picture of the situation from Sevareid.

2004 W. Deverell Whitewashed Adobe iii. 98 Clarke explained his whereabouts by drawing a word-picture of mountains, valleys, and waterway grids.

wordplay n. [compare German Wortspiel (17th cent.), and also play n. 8c] (a) the action of playing with words; witty use of words, esp. of verbal ambiguities; (b) an instance of this, a play on words (see play n. 8c), a pun.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > wit, wittiness > wit with words > [noun] > instance of

crank1594

wits, fits, and fancies1595

jerk1598

quirk1600

tongue-squib1628

dictery1632

repartee1637

quip1645

good thing1671

bon mot1735

a play on (also upon) words1761

sally1781

wordplay1794

southboarda1805

mot1813

smartism1830

1794 Freemasons' Mag. Sept. 188 When..blockheads pretend to wit, for which estimable talent a glittering tinsel of word-play is mistaken as the reality.

1851 Biblical Repertory Oct. 687 To such an extent is this word-play carried, that language seems in his hands to lose its meaning.

1856 H. G. Migault Eight Hist. Diss. Suicide i. 14 Sokrates, whilst etymologizing on the word σῶμα, body, indulges in the following somewhat fanciful word-plays.

1911 H. M. R. Murray Erthe upon Erthe Introd. p. xxix Word-plays of the kind..are..not common in Latin verse of the time.

1967 Sci. Amer. Sept. 268/1 The double acrostic..was..the most popular form of word-play in English-speaking countries throughout the last quarter of the 19th century and until the end of World War I.

1982 I. Hamilton Robert Lowell (1983) ii. 18 Argument pursued for the sake of wit and wordplay rather than for any just or true solution.

2004 Independent (Tabloid ed.) 30 Sept. 43/3 Reviews and articles appeared throughout the 1960s and 1970s,..all of them sparkling with Sams's delight in wordplay, puns especially.

word power n. the extensiveness of one's vocabulary; the ability to express oneself effectively.

ΚΠ

a1876 H. Martineau Autobiogr. (1877) I. 399 Coleridge..prodigious word power.

1958 Life 19 May 58/1 (advt.) It is the one dictionary that helps young people build up the word power they need—with definitions so precise and accurate that correct understanding of every word is assured.

2006 Leicester Mercury (Nexis) 24 Jan. 27 Looking up words you don't understand or don't really know the meaning of, in a dictionary, can really improve your word power.

word problem n. (a) Education (originally U.S.) a mathematical problem expressed in words; (b) [after German Wortproblem (W. Magnus 1932, in Math. Ann. 106 295)] Mathematics the problem of determining whether two different products are equal, or two sequences of operations are equivalent.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [noun] > mathematical enquiry > proposition > problem > specific problem

Deliac problem1636

word problem1903

travelling salesman problem1949

four-colour problem1962

1903 D. A. Murray First Course Infinitesimal Calculus vii. 123 The student is in a position analogous to his position in algebra when he applied his knowledge about the solution of equations to solving ‘word problems’.

1947 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 12 90 The word problem for semigroups.

1993 Nature 1 July 21/3 The most important paper here is a proof that the word problem in cancellation semigroups is insoluble.

2007 Times Educ. Suppl. (Nexis) 23 Mar. Pupils often have difficulties solving word problems, even if they possess the skills to carry out the calculation itself.

word recognition n. Education and Psychology the process or faculty whereby a reader perceives and correctly understands words.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > reading > [noun] > word-recognition

word recognition1879

1879 J. L. Hughes Mistakes Teaching iii. 83 Whatever method of teaching word recognition be used, pupils should read a line as soon as they can name the words it contains.

1956 T. W. Clymer in R. H. Beck Three R's Plus 139 Word-recognition skills have been mentioned... Context clues are the quickest and easiest of the word-recognition techniques.

1991 Internat. Jrnl. Law & Family 5 262 The Southgate reading test..is a standardized test of word recognition.

word salad n. [after either German Wortsalat (1894 or earlier) or French salade de mots (1895 or earlier)] Psychiatry speech that is a disorderly, meaningless jumble of words, often containing neologisms, occurring esp. in advanced schizophrenia; (more generally) incoherent speech or writing; an instance of this.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults

tongue-tiedness1598

plateasm1656

tongue-tying1762

paraphonia1772

lullaby-speech1822

cleft palate1847

paralalia1848

logoneurosis1857

zetacism1860

alogia1864

lallation1864

lambdacism1864

semi-mute1864

heterophemy1875

agrammatism1877

bradyphrasia1877

heterophasia1877

logopathy1877

paragraphia1877

paralexia1877

paraphasia1877

paraphrasia1877

verbigeration1877

recurring utterance1878

word blindness1878

word deafness1878

scanning1887

sigmatism1888

idioglossia1891

staccato utterance1898

word salad1904

palilalia1908

paragrammatism1924

idiolalia1930

dysprosody1947

Broca's aphasia1959

1904 G. S. Hall Adolescence I. iv. 318 Both these tendencies have asylum out-crops in Forel's ‘word-salad’ or Krafft-Ebing's ‘word-husks’.

1930 L. E. Hinsie Schizophrenia ii. 28 The symptomatology is ordinarily not at all bizarre; there is not the scattering of thought, nor the ‘word-salad’.

1960 R. D. Laing Divided Self xi. 215 Her ‘word-salad’ seemed to be the result of a number of quasi-autonomous partial systems striving to give expression to themselves out of the same mouth at the same time.

1976 N. Postman Crazy Talk 228 The exorbitant fee one must pay..is made to seem plausible by a word salad of imposing proportions.

1991 J. Klinkowitz Donald Barthelme v. 117 Their dialogue is the piece's most inventive one, he mixing Joycean word salad with redneck vernacular, she sounding like both a sorceress and a street-tough feminist.

word search n. a puzzle in which the object is to find hidden words, typically within a grid of apparently jumbled letters.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles

riddleOE

logogriph1598

rebus1605

name-device1631

telesticha1637

lipogram1711

charade1776

conundrum1790

logogram1820

anagrams?1860

acrostic1861

metagram1867

word square1867

verbarian1872

jumble-letters1899

word ladder1928

Double-Crostic1934

word search1957

hangman1961

1957 Winnipeg Free Press 20 May 29/3 (heading) Word Search.

1978 Eng. Jrnl. Apr. 79/2 Word searches, quizzes, and crosswords were added.

1994 Inside Soap Aug. 15/3 There's a whole host of soapie words hidden in our wordsearch grid.

word sense disambiguation n. (in computational linguistics) the process or task of determining which sense of a word is being used in a particular context; abbreviated WSD.

ΚΠ

1976 Philos. Forum 14 iv. 418 The author does not discuss the ‘vast problem’ of machine translation. Rather, he addresses himself to the ‘subproblem’ of word-sense disambiguation.

1994 Machine Transl. 9 110 After word-sense disambiguation, we have to attach to each occurrence its appropriate sense number.

2007 R. Rapp in P. Grzybek & R. Köhler Exact Methods in Study of Lang. & Text 575 None of the published algorithms comes close to human performance in word sense disambiguation.

wordshot n. [after earshot n.] rare the range or distance within which one person can communicate verbally with another.

ΚΠ

1839 T. Mitchell in Aristophanes Frogs 53 Two such ne'er-do-wells come not within word-shot of each other, but, believe me, there is ten times more talk than work.

1872 Scribner's Monthly Sept. 623/2 The clammers within word-shot hurriedly awaking the clams to their destiny—clam chowder!

2008 www.lethalwrestling.com 17 Jan. (O.E.D. Archive) I don't give a fuck, and neither should anyone within wordshot of me.

word-sign n. something used to represent a word; esp. a graphic character representing a complete word; = logogram n. 2b; cf. word-symbol n.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > character representing a word

per se1596

monogram1801

word-sign1842

word-symbol1852

word-type1866

letterword1927

logogram1933

1842 Brit. Mag. & Monthly Reg. July 34 A system of word-signs or verbal phonetics does not differ from a system of letter-signs or elementary phonetics.

1900 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. 30 156 As regards word-signs, in general the connection of the meaning of the word with the picture is obvious enough once it is pointed out.

1908 G. K. Chesterton Man who was Thursday ix. 165 It did not take him long to learn how he might convey simple messages by what would seem to be idle taps upon a table or knee... ‘We must have several word-signs,..words that we are likely to want.’

1964 P. A. D. MacCarthy in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 162 Four uniliteral ‘word-signs’ for the, of, and, to, are standard.

1991 Jrnl. Theol. Stud. 42 112 Scribes sometimes wrote a Sumerian word-sign, reading it in Akkadian, and sometimes spelt out the same word syllabically in Akkadian.

word sketch n. a brief or simple word picture.

ΚΠ

1845 G. B. Cheever Wanderings Pilgrim ix. 55 A sketch of the battle-field of Morgarten, pencilled amidst my own word-sketches, by an English clergyman.

1939 H. James Romance National Parks ii. 120 William Harrison Peters, in April, 1936, American Forests gave us some unforgettable word sketches.

2002 A. Melrose Write for Children iii. 105 Enclose another version, which includes some picture ideas. These need only be thumbnail word sketches in italics, just to give the editor a broader perspective.

† word-spite adj. Obsolete rare characterized by the verbal expression of spite or ill will.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > spitefulness > [adjective] > verbal

word-spite1857

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > unkindness > spite, malice > [adjective] > expressed in words

word-spite1857

1857 F. Palgrave Hist. Normandy & Eng. II. 561 A silly, yet ferocious, wordspite quarrel between Otho and Hugh-le-Grand.

word square n. a set of words of the same number of letters arranged in a square so as to read the same horizontally or vertically; a puzzle in which such a set of words has to be guessed; (also, more generally) any square-shaped word puzzle.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > other specific groups or sets of words

word square1867

doublet1879

society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles

riddleOE

logogriph1598

rebus1605

name-device1631

telesticha1637

lipogram1711

charade1776

conundrum1790

logogram1820

anagrams?1860

acrostic1861

metagram1867

word square1867

verbarian1872

jumble-letters1899

word ladder1928

Double-Crostic1934

word search1957

hangman1961

1867 Routledge's Mag. for Boys Feb. 122/2 (heading) Word squares.

1876 Burlington (Iowa) Hawk-eye 14 Sept. 7/4 We publish the word square this week, and the enigma shall soon appear.

1925 Times 26 Jan. 8/4 The remarkable Latin word-square under-noted is said to belong to the time of the Roman occupation of Britain.

1987 Video for You July 22/2 (advt.) Find the ten words..which are hidden in the word square.

2005 Hindu (Nexis) 11 Mar. Crossword puzzles are a development of the old word square.

† words-speaking n. [compare Old English wordsprecende (adjective) able to speak] Obsolete talk, utterance (in quot. a1425: (perhaps) oratory, rhetoric).

ΚΠ

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) l. 5451 They maken foolis glorifie Of her wordis spekyng.

c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 511 Þerfor is it not gretelie to charge of wurdis-spekyng and a man do wele.

word-stock n. the sum of words available to users of a language, dialect, etc.; vocabulary (in quot. 1926 as part of an extended metaphor: cf. stock n.¹ 4).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > words collectively vocabulary

wordhoardeOE

vocabulary1701

wordage1829

word-stock1858

wordlore1904

lexicon1933

lexis1960

vocab1971

1858 S. F. Dunlap Vestiges Spirit-hist. Man i. 20 Unless there is such a relationship, no innate radical resemblance can be traced in the word-stock of the Indian languages.

1886 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 17 Appendix p. xix The writer..turned his attention to the vocabulary or word-stock of the Assyrian in comparison with that of the Hebrew and Arabic.

1926 G. W. S. Friedrichsen Gothic Version of Gospels 23 By skilfully grafting the vigorous scions of his own speech on to the exotic word-stock.

1998 S. Winchester Surgeon of Crowthorne iv. 79 Establishing the limits of the language, creating an inventory of its word-stock, forging its cosmology, deciding exactly what the language was.

word-strife n. now rare contention over words; = logomachy n. 1; (also) conflict conducted by means of the spoken or printed word, verbal altercation.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > debate, disputation, argument > controversy, dispute, argument > [noun] > about words

logomachy1569

word-strifea1670

a1670 J. Hacket Scrinia Reserata (1693) ii. 107 The end of this λογομαχία, or Word-strife.

1851 J. Fulton tr. A. Wiesinger Biblical Comm. St. Paul's Epist. 355 Things which he has concisely characterized as empty talk, mere word-strife and insipidity.

1937 C. W. Elliott Winfield Scott xliv. 621 Northern delegates stood by him and prevented his expulsion, but much time was consumed in bitter word strife before the balloting was resumed.

1949 Daily Messenger (Canandaigua, N.Y.) 20 Oct. 1/8 A new outburst of Yugoslav-Russian word strife in Europe growing out of Yugoslavia's expulsion from the Cominform.

word-symbol n. a word used as or taking the form of a sign or symbol; spec. = logogram n. 2b.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > character representing a word

per se1596

monogram1801

word-sign1842

word-symbol1852

word-type1866

letterword1927

logogram1933

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > other specific types of word

hard word1533

household word1574

magic word1581

grandam words1598

signal word1645

book worda1670

wordie1718

my whole1777

foundling1827–38

keyword1827

Mesopotamia1827

thought-word1844

word-symbol1852

nursery word1853

pivot word1865

rattler1865

object word1876

pillow word1877

nonce-word1884

non-word1893

fossil1901

blessed word1910

bogy-word1919

catch-all1922

pseudo-word1929

false friend1931

plus word1939

descriptor1946

meta-word1952

discourse marker1967

shrub2008

the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > symbol representing word

word-symbol1852

lexigram1973

1852 Knickerbocker Aug. 114 To..show..that there is..a correspondence between the word-symbol and the object which it was originally intended to represent.

1904 Jrnl. Philos., Psychol. & Sci. Methods 1 412 In the ideogenetic thinking of artists, the word-symbols are not used.

1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xvii. 287 In the writings of other languages, where words are of various lengths, we find word-symbols used for phonetically similar parts of longer words.

1998 D. Bellos et al. tr. G. Ifrah Universal Hist. Numbers xxiv. 432/1 All we know of their astronomical canons..is the terminology by which they were described.., the terminology being the word-symbols.

word time n. Computing the time between the reading of the first bits of successive words (sense A. 13d).

ΘΚΠ

society > computing and information technology > hardware > [noun] > memory > defined by speed of access > time taken

memory cycle1948

word time1952

1952 Math. Tables & Other Aids Computation 6 111 The stepping is done by allowing the Z line to precess once during filling operations at the word time coincident with filling.

1969 P. B. Jordain Condensed Computer Encycl. 567 All activities must be calculated in multiples or submultiples of word time or cycle time.

1994 IEEE/ACM Trans. Networking 2 185/1 At 622.08 Mb/s, the word time is 51 ns and so the memory would need to have an access time less than 25 ns.

word-tone n. Phonetics = tone n. 6a.

ΚΠ

1876 Appletons' Jrnl. 6 May 607/1 We learn that in singing the Chinese are not able to give the needed ‘word-tones’, without which the words are confusing and often senseless.

1894 O. Jespersen Progress in Lang. ix. 340 So much for word-tones; now for the sentence melody.

1928 Proc. Brit. Acad. 14 354 The four word-tones used in the Mandarin language of Peking to keep otherwise identical words apart.

1999 Asian Music 30 167 Because the [Hmong] language is tonal and the word-tones are exaggerated in performance, the result sounds like song to us.

word-vision n. rare the ability to understand the meaning of written words (the opposite of word-blindness); (also) imaginative use of words, wordplay.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > faculty which associates symbols with meaning

word-vision1891

1891 Rev. Insanity & Nerv. Dis. Dec. 158 The centre for word-vision and the commissures between it and the concept centres were impaired by disease.

1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 313 Visual ideation, more particularly in reference to the association of written symbols with their meaning—that is, word-vision—is specially impaired by lesion of the left angular gyrus.

2000 D. Oliver Salvo for Afr. 47 Freudian misspellings, half meanings, puns, strange word combinations—a frequent kind of word-vision that I have now that I use computers so much.

word-watch v. rare intransitive to engage in word-watching.

ΚΠ

1968 Listener 25 Apr. 525/1 What happens if in turn we word-watch on Mr. Davie? Could it be that to use the word ‘histrionic’ ten times in one short article is itself somewhat histrionic?

word-watcher n. an observer or critic of linguistic usage.

ΚΠ

1915 E. Sidgwick Duke Jones ii. i. 217 ‘But I'm far from uncritical, I ought to tell you,’ she remarked. ‘Oh—don't say you are a word-watcher too!’

1936 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz. 13 Mar. 1/7 Naturalness is the watchword of the word watchers.

1980 Amer. Speech 55 77 -gate has undergone some developments that should interest word-watchers.

1997 S. Pinker How Mind Works (1998) vi. 386 Word-watchers, verbivores, and sesquipedalians love a challenge.

word-watching n. observation of linguistic usage, esp. with regard to changes and innovations.

ΚΠ

1941 H. V. Routh Diffusion Eng. Culture 80 ‘Word-watching’ would lead to ‘sense-spotting’.

1961 (title of pamphlet) in Eng. Jrnl. 50 424 A field guide to word watching.

1997 Amer. Speech 72 115 The record of their word-watching in ‘Among the New Words’ triggers memories of time and place as readily as does a photograph album.

† word-wood adj. [ < word n. + wood adj.] Obsolete wild or unrestrained in speech.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > [adjective]

wordyeOE

talewisec1200

i-worded?c1225

babblinga1250

cacklinga1250

chatteringa1250

speakfula1250

word-wooda1250

of many wordsc1350

janglingc1374

tatteringc1380

tongueya1382

ganglinga1398

readya1400

jargaunt1412

talkative1432

open-moutheda1470

clattering1477

trattling?a1513

windy1513

popping1528

smatteringa1529

rattle?1529

communicablea1533

blab1552

gaggling1553

long-tongued?1553

prittle-prattle1556

pattering1558

talking1560

bobling1566

gabbling1566

verbal1572

piet1573

twattling1573

flibber gibber1575

babblative1576

tickle-tongued1577

tattling1581

buzzing1587

long-winded1589

multiloquous1591

discoursive1599

rattling1600

glib1602

flippant1605

talkful1605

nimble-tongued1608

tongue-ripe1610

fliperous1611

garrulous?1611

futile1612

overspeaking1612

feather-tongueda1618

tongue-free1617

long-breatheda1628

well-breathed1635

multiloquious1640

untongue-tied1640

unretentive1650

communicative1651

linguacious1651

glibbed1654

largiloquent1656

multiloquent1656

parlagea1657

loose-clacked1661

nimble-chop1662

twit-twat1665

over-talkativea1667

loquacious1667

loudmouth1668

conversable1673

gash1681

narrative1681

chappy1693

apposite1701

conversative1703

gabbit1710

lubricous1715

gabby?1719

ventose1721

taleful1726

chatty?1741

blethering1759

renable1781

fetch-fire1784

conversational1799

conversant1803

gashing1808

long-lunged1815

talky1815

multi-loquacious1819

prolegomenous1822

talky-talky1831

nimble-mouthed1836

slipper1842

speechful1842

gassy1843

in great force1849

yattering1859

babbly1860

irreticent1864

chattable1867

lubrical1867

chattery1869

loose-mouthed1872

chinny1883

tongue-wagging1885

yappy1909

big-mouthed1914

loose-lipped1919

ear-bashing1945

ear-bending1946

yackety-yacking1953

nattering1959

yacking1959

woofy1960

a1250 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Maidstone) (1955) 103 (MED) Wimman is word-wod [a1300 Jesus Oxf. word woþ] & haueþ tunge to swift.

word-writing n. logographic writing.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > system of writing > [noun] > thought-writing

ideography1836

word-writing1843

thought-writing1860

notion-writing1863

1843 S. G. Howe in Lect. Amer. Inst. Instr. 1842 ii. 75 There are three kinds of writing: first, word-writing, or lexigraphic, as the writing of the Chinese, and some of the Egyptian hieroglyphical signs.

1856 Ladies' Repository Feb. 116/2 The third stage of progress in written language, is indicated by that system of word-writing which now prevails in China.

1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xvii. 285 A better name [for ideographic writing]..would be word-writing or logographic writing.

1942 L. Bloomfield in C. Hockett Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 385 In word writing each word is represented by a conventional sign... Chinese writing is the most perfect system of this kind.

1996 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 59 66 The xingsheng characters retain the element of word-writing and combine it with rebus writing.

Derivatives

ˈword-like adj.

ΚΠ

1833 H. Ellison Madmoments II. 177 The stars are wove in wordlike guise.

1889 Hebraica 5 125 Pesiq stands between repeated words or word-like phrases.

1995 M. J. Riddoch & G. W. Humphreys in C. Hollin Contemp. Psychol. ix. 187 The third set of word-like stimuli were letter strings that followed the spelling rules of English..but they were not real words (e.g., tweal).

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	word
释义	wordn.int. Brit. /wəːd/, U.S. /wərd/ Forms: Old English uord (chiefly Northumbrian), Old English uuord (rare), Old English (rare) werd, Old English (rare)–early Middle English weord, Old English (Northumbrian)–early Middle English woerd, Old English–early Middle English worð (rare), Old English–1600s wurd, Old English– word, late Old English wor (perhaps transmission error), early Middle English worth (rare), early Middle English wurð (rare), Middle English owrdes (plural, transmission error), Middle English worder (transmission error), Middle English wored, Middle English wort, Middle English worþes (plural, perhaps transmission error), Middle English wourd, Middle English wourde, Middle English wrd, Middle English wrode (probably transmission error), Middle English wuord, Middle English wyrd, Middle English (1700s nonstandard) vord, Middle English–1500s wurde, Middle English–1600s woord, Middle English–1600s woorde, Middle English–1600s wordd, Middle English–1600s worde, 1500s wordde; U.S. regional 1800s– wud, 1900s– woid (New York), 1900s– wu'd; English regional 1800s– wod (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), 1800s– woo'd (Leicestershire), 1800s– wud, 1800s– wurd (north-western), 1900s– wodd (Lincolnshire), 1900s– worrd (Westmorland); Scottish pre-1700 uoord, pre-1700 uorde, pre-1700 vard (probably transmission error), pre-1700 vord, pre-1700 vorde, pre-1700 vourd, pre-1700 woird, pre-1700 woord, pre-1700 woorde, pre-1700 worde, pre-1700 wourd, pre-1700 wourde, pre-1700 wowrd, pre-1700 1700s– word, pre-1700 1800s– wird (now chiefly northern and north-eastern), 1700s werd, 1800s– ward, 1800s– wurd; also Irish English 1800s wurrd, 1900s– wurd. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian word (West Frisian wurd), Old Dutch wort (Middle Dutch wort, word, Dutch woord), Old Saxon word (Middle Low German wort), Old High German wort (Middle High German wort, German Wort), Old Icelandic orð, Old Swedish orþ (Swedish ord), Old Danish orth (Danish ord), Gothic waurd, all denoting both ‘an utterance’ and ‘an element or unit of speech, a word’ < the same Indo-European base as Lithuanian vardas name, forename, title, Latvian vārds word, forename, promise, classical Latin verbum word, showing an extended form of the Indo-European base of ancient Greek ῥήτωρ (earlier ϝρήτωρ) speaker, (Epic and Ionic) ἐρέω (earlier ϝερέω; Attic ἐρῶ) I shall say, and perhaps also Sanskrit vrata behest, command.In the and God's word after post-classical Latin verbum Dei (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ (New Testament). In the word of Christ after post-classical Latin verbum Christi (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τοῦ Χριστοῦ (New Testament). In the word of grace after post-classical Latin verbum gratiae (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek ὁ λόγος τῆς χάριτος (New Testament). In the word of life after post-classical Latin verbum vitae (Vulgate), Hellenistic Greek λόγος ζωῆς (New Testament). In sense A. 11 after classical Latin verbum, ancient Greek λόγος word, as used in the New Testament; compare Logos n. In Old English a strong neuter; the unchanged plural reflecting this declension survives into the early Middle English period (compare quot. c1275 at sense A. 2b). A. n. I. Speech, utterance, verbal expression. 1. As a count noun (usually in singular). a. (a) Something that is or has been said; an utterance, a statement, a speech, a remark. Now somewhat rare in general sense, except in true (also truer) word.Seven (Last) Words: see Phrases 3c(a). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken speechc897 saw9.. speech971 wordOE quideOE wordsOE wordOE thingOE rouna1225 mouthc1225 queatha1250 breathc1300 reasonc1300 speakingsa1325 swarec1325 saying1340 voicec1350 lorea1375 sermonc1385 carpc1400 gear1415 utterancec1454 parol1474 ditty1483 say1571 said1578 dictumc1586 palabra1600 breathing1606 bringinga1616 elocution?1637 rumblea1680 elocutive1821 vocability1841 deliverance1845 deliverment1850 deliverancy1853 verbalization1858 voicing1888 sayable1937 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xiv. 140 Ða sæde he him, ic hit soðlice eom. Hi ða mid þam worde, wendon underbæc. OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) iv. 25 Gyf ge þonne minum worde ne gelyfað.., ic hæbbe to dæg gewitnysse heofon & eorðan ðæt ge forwurðað. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 282 Swa wass filledd opennliȝ Þatt word tatt ær wass cwiddedd. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 45 Min word..Maȝȝ hellpenn þa þatt redenn itt. To sen. & tunnderrstanndenn. a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 235 (MED) He cweð a wunder worder [read worde] to þar sawle bi þa witie ysaiam. c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 1567 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 151 Þe king makede him wroth i-novȝ for þat word ase he hadde ofte i-beo. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 541 Suspect his face, suspect his word also Suspect the tyme in which he this bigan. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xv. 145 With that vorde assemblit thai. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 538 Wallace was blyth fra he had hard thar wourd. 1534 J. Fewterer tr. U. Pinder Myrrour Christes Passion 124 This moste comfortable worde of our most swete sauyour Iesu spoken vnto the thefe. 1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1258/1 At this worde which he coupled with an othe, came I in. 1568 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1928) II. 87 The wird of Iesew is fulfillit rycht Surrexit sicut dixit. 1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. Pref. 11 Then his word were an Oracle, his opinion a decision. 1749 D. Garrick Lethe: Dramatic Satire 13 Old Man. I have, to say the Truth, a little Money—it is that indeed, which causes all my Uneasiness. Æsop. Thou never spok'st a truer Word in thy Life, old Gentleman. 1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 239 He blessed the bread, but vanish'd at the word. 1800 W. Scott Eve St. John 7 Now, trust my word, my noble Lord! 1841 G. P. R. James Brigand xxix My word is said, and it shall be inviolable. c1889 W. W. Pratt Ten Nights in Bar-Room i. ii. 9 Green. If our excellent friend..is not the richest man in Cedarville in ten years, he will have the satisfaction of knowing that he has made the town richer. Willie. A true word that, as true a word as was ever spoken. 1939 Times 15 July 6/1 Who was it that declared that a man needs a head to play golf? Whoever he was he spoke a true word. 1948 H. Henderson Elegies Dead in Cyrenaica 20 Minding the great word of Glencoe's son, that we should not disfigure ourselves with villainy of hatred. 1986 ELH 53 479 Andrew Aguecheek..probably thinks he never spoke truer word than when he declares his conviction that ‘to be up late is to be up late’. 2003 M. Spindler in I. Daneel et al. Fullness of Life for All viii. 106 The famous word of Jesus: ‘I have come that men may have life, and may have it in all its fullness.’ (b) In apposition, with the text of the utterance or statement as complement. Now rare. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xiii. 134 Þæt word belimpð synderlice to gode anum, Ic eom. c1425 Myrour to Lewde Men & Wymmen (Harl.) (1981) 84 (MED) This worde ‘in celis’, þat is to seie ‘in heuenes’, scheweþ þat þere be mo heuenes þan on. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. iii. 146 The hoplesse word of neuer to returne, Breathe I against thee. View more context for this quotation 1631 T. Dekker Penny-wise, Povnd Foolish sig. C2^v Ferdinand hearing..that word, single penny, cast his eye backe vpon my counterfet beggar. 1835 D. P. Thompson Adventures Timothy Peacock xvi. 177 The omnific word, ‘I am that I am,’ which none but the craft will presume to depreciate. 1903 J. Keatinge Priest iii. 46 We should put down the three words ‘Peace’, ‘Perseverance’, ‘A worthy Communion to-day.’ b. In negative contexts (or with negative implied), or with every: any or the least utterance, statement, or fragment of speech; anything at all (said or written). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken speechc897 saw9.. speech971 wordOE quideOE wordsOE wordOE thingOE rouna1225 mouthc1225 queatha1250 breathc1300 reasonc1300 speakingsa1325 swarec1325 saying1340 voicec1350 lorea1375 sermonc1385 carpc1400 gear1415 utterancec1454 parol1474 ditty1483 say1571 said1578 dictumc1586 palabra1600 breathing1606 bringinga1616 elocution?1637 rumblea1680 elocutive1821 vocability1841 deliverance1845 deliverment1850 deliverancy1853 verbalization1858 voicing1888 sayable1937 OE Riddle 18 1 Ic eom wunderlicu wiht; ne mæg word sprecan, mældan for monnum, þeah ic muþ hæbbe. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxix. 420 Se eadiga laurentius mid nanum worde him ne geandwyrde. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 70 Þatt upp onn all þiss boc ne be. Nan word ȝæn cristess lare. a1350 (?c1225) King Horn (Harl.) (1901) l. 260 Þah hue ne dorste at bord Mid him speke ner a word [v.r. no worde]. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 879 (MED) He couþe no word long þerafter spek. c1400 Life St. Anne (Minn.) (1928) 554 (MED) Iosep couth speke no wrode [read worde] for shame. a1500 (?a1425) Antichrist (Peniarth) in R. M. Lumiansky & D. Mills Chester Myst. Cycle (1974) I. App. 505 (MED) Why wylte thou not one wurde speke theym tyll that comyn me to reprove? ?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 45 I sall say furth the south, dissymyland no word. 1581 J. Hamilton Catholik Traictise Testim. sig. Viv^v He sal not haif ane vourd to ansueir. 1594 W. Percy Sonnets to Fairest Coelia v. sig. B Ho, Muses blab you? Not a word, Pieannets, or I will gag you. 1611 Bible (King James) 2 Sam. xix. 10 Why speake ye not a word of bringing the king backe? View more context for this quotation 1667 Earl of Orrery Coll. State Lett. (1742) 305 He..got an order..without so much as telling me one word of it. 1676 Earl of Essex in C. E. Pike Essex Papers (1913) II. 83 I was above four months before I could gett one word of answer from him. 1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 209 They never heard a Word of English. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xlviii. 342 You undo me, if one word of this matter escape you. 1758 C. Lennox Henrietta I. ii. ii. 105 That..her every word and action [might] be under his direction. 1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility II. viii. 137 I would not mention a word about it to her. View more context for this quotation 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xi. 10 No word indicating that he took blame to himself. 1863 W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting vii. 294 It is now eighteen months since I heard a word..from my friends. 1882 W. Besant All Sorts of Men II. xxi. 100 Her ladyship held out her hands, without a word. 1945 G. Mitchell Rising of Moon iii. 32 Those circus people are funny sort of cusses. Not a word to say for themselves. 1991 G. Dyer But Beautiful 21 He could tell he had the attention of this small, sparsely populated court—..they were hanging on his every word. 2006 Countryman Dec. 30/1 I complained bitterly about never receiving a word of praise. c. A (short or slight) utterance, statement, or remark; a brief speech or conversation. Esp. as a word; similarly a word or two, a couple of words. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken > short a wordc1405 half a word1562 a couple of words1589 a few well-chosen words1854 OE West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) xx. 3 Ic ahsige eow an word [L. unum verbum], andswariað me, wæs Iohannes fulluht of heofone? lOE St. Margaret (Corpus Cambr.) (1994) 166 Ac ic þe bidde, eadige fæmne, þæt ic wið þe an word dælan mote.] c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 302 Now wol I speke of oothes false and grete A word or two, as olde bokes trete. ?c1425 T. Hoccleve Jonathas (Durh.) l. 213 in Minor Poems (1970) i. 223 Now, sire, yit a word, by your licence, Suffrith me for to seye and speke now. c1450 (a1400) Libeaus Desconus (Calig. A.ii) (1969) 41 (MED) Kyng Artour, my lord, Graunte me to speke a word, J pray þe, par amour. ?c1500 Mary Magdalene (Digby) l. 1423 Master of þe shepe, a word with þe. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. CCCiii Than if we be touched w^t a sharpe worde we shall yelde a..gentyll answere. 1581 T. Wilcox Glasse for Gamesters vi. sig. cv^v Nowe a worde or two, out of the fathers,..for the ouerthrowyng of Dise and Cardes. 1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xxv. 252 So occupied..in the Princes affaires, as it is a great matter to haue a couple of wordes with them. 1611 Bible (King James) Isa. l. 4 To speake a worde in season [1560 Geneva a worde in time] to him that is wearie. View more context for this quotation 1660 R. Coke Elements Power & Subjection v. iv. 266* in Justice Vindicated It will not be amisse before I conclude to add a word or two in vindication of Sir Edward Coke. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. iii. 52 I entreated to be heard a Word or two. 1761 J. Wesley Let. 19 Feb. (1931) IV. 141 This ad hominem. But I have a word more ad rem. Can a man teach what he does not know? 1810 G. Crabbe Borough xxii. 299 Peter..had of all a civil word and wish. 1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. I. 115 Some ordinary word of recognition passed between her and her mother. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxiii. 359 And now, gentlemen, but one word more. 1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 59 I have a word to say..which may seem to be depreciatory of legislators. 1909 Chatterbox 254/2 We may..say a word about nest-building among the mammalia. 1930 M. Waldman tr. J. Martet Georges Clemenceau xii. 71 I'll say a couple of words to him and then you're to take him away. 1959 Motor Man. (ed. 36) v. 130 A word or two should be said on the subject of tyre pressures. 1990 A. Lambert No Talking after Lights viii. 151 She hoped..that she herself could find a moment..for a quiet word with her about the death of her mother. 2000 S. Kinsella Secret Dreamworld Shopaholic i. 18 Philip the editor calls my name... ‘Rebecca?’ he says. ‘A word.’ And he beckons me over to his desk. d. spec. Something said on behalf of another. to put in a (good) word for: see to put in 6a at put v. Phrasal verbs 1. See also good word n. 2. In quot. 1625: †(in plural) votes (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > intercession or influence on someone's behalf > [noun] > that which is said or done on behalf of another word1487 citizen advocacy1969 1487 Thewis Gud Women (St. John's Cambr.) l. 139 in R. Girvan Ratis Raving & Other Early Scots Poems (1939) 89 Gif nane Ill word behynd þar bak. 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Mutus No friend hath intreated or spoken a worde for me. 1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 197 A Gentleman..understood that I had been robbed in France, where~upon hee gave his word for me unto the Maior. 1625 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. v. 472 Whoesoever..shall labour or practise to gaine woordes for to make a Mayor, Sheriffe, or any other officer. 1638 R. Baker tr. J. L. G. de Balzac New Epist. II. 101 A prudence that is so..scrupulous, that feares to venture a word for a vertuous friend. 1831 T. Carlyle Early German Lit. in Crit. & Misc. Ess. (1872) III. 196 The venerable man deserves a word from us. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iii. 301 Any dissolute courtier for whom one of the king's mistresses would speak a word. 1940 M. Lowry Let. 7 May (1967) 30 I'd be immensely beholden to you if you would put in the odd word. 1996 Nation (N.Y.) 15 July 8/1 Why not take another step and say that shopping malls..constitute the public sphere today? Why just a word for the Riggio brothers? Why not a clap on the back for McDonald's? e. A watchword; a password. Now rare.to give the word: see Phrases 4c(b). ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > word or cry > [noun] > password token1377 worda1500 watchworda1513 countersign1598 nayworda1616 tessera1647 counter-word1678 password1799 hard word1830 token pledge1896 tryst-word1896 a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 294 (MED) Thei cried ‘Clarence!’, the worde of kynge Arthur. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxvii. 230 When he sawe his tyme, he cryed his worde & token. 1662 J. Dauncey Eng. Lovers ii. 118 Captain Goodlake having got the Kings privy Signet, and the Military Word, for that night. 1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier ii. 180 The Lord of Hosts was so much in their Mouths, for that was the Word for that Day, that they took little heed how to conduct the Host of the Lord to their own Advantage. 1844 W. M. Thackeray Barry Lyndon i. xii in Fraser's Mag. June 730/1 If you meet any of the patrol, say ‘foxes are loose’,—that's the word for to-night. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 608 The word by which the insurgents were to recognise one another in the darkness was Soho. 1902 E. Wharton Valley of Decision II. 310 Your Highness,..the gates are guarded; but the word for to-night is Humilitas. 2. In plural. a. Things said or stated; something expressed in verbal form, whether spoken or written; discourse, utterance.In early use sometimes used spec. of speech as distinguished from writing. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken speechc897 saw9.. speech971 wordOE quideOE wordsOE wordOE thingOE rouna1225 mouthc1225 queatha1250 breathc1300 reasonc1300 speakingsa1325 swarec1325 saying1340 voicec1350 lorea1375 sermonc1385 carpc1400 gear1415 utterancec1454 parol1474 ditty1483 say1571 said1578 dictumc1586 palabra1600 breathing1606 bringinga1616 elocution?1637 rumblea1680 elocutive1821 vocability1841 deliverance1845 deliverment1850 deliverancy1853 verbalization1858 voicing1888 sayable1937 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) i. 187 Þa com se engel to hire & hi gegrette mid godes wordum. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxv. 382 Ac seo modor him wiðcwæð mid wordum, & se dumba fæder mid gewrite. OE Beowulf (2008) 612 Ðær wæs hæleþa hleahtor, hlyn swynsode, word wæron wynsume. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) iii. 20 He andwyrde mid feawum wordum. a1200 (?OE) Royal Charter: Æðelstan to St. Paul's Minster (Sawyer 452) in S. E. Kelly Charters of St. Paul's, London (2004) 166 Ic Aðelstan..cyðe minum witum & on þisum gewrite mid wordum afæstnige, þæt ic wille friðian ealle ða lande are into S. Paules mynstre. ?c1250 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Egerton) l. 9 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 288 (MED) Fele ydele word ic habbe i-queþen. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3328 Mid wurden and mid writen þe [c1300 Otho he] dude heom wel to witen, [etc.]. c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 1572 (MED) Þe clerkes spoken to þe child Dradefullich, wiþ wordes milde. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 890 Til þat worm þan drightin spak Wordes bath o wrath and wrak. 1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) vii. 28 Wythout moo wordes the knyght mounted..on horsbake. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) John vi. f. cxxix^v The wordes that I speake vnto you are sprete and lyfe. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 66 Youre holy rewle forbydeth you all vayne and ydel wordes. 1533 J. Gau in tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay To Rdr. sig. Aiv Ane prayer is noth the mair plesand to god for causz we wsz mony vordis in it. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. i [They] affirmed their doynges to be good, bothe in wordes and writyng. a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) v. x. 6 I haue no words, My voice is in my Sword. View more context for this quotation 1638 F. Junius Painting of Ancients 89 Seeing they cleare such a great point in a few words. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost x. 865 Soft words to his fierce passion she assay'd. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 384 They..in Words and Tears had spent The little time of stay. 1744 E. Haywood Female Spectator No. 3 (1748) I. 113 It is sure a pleasure which no words can paint! 1795 A. Hughes Jemima II. 87 You profess a wish to oblige me, said Rosina; if only words of course, I beg you will spare my ear. 1813 Lady Burghersh Lett. (1893) 61 Words can't describe the figures the women dress here. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xx. 170 When he had a duty to perform, Captain Dobbin was accustomed to go through it without many words or much hesitation. 1878 W. Besant & J. Rice By Celia's Arbour I. xvii. 253 I have no words..to express the very great thanks which I..owe to you. 1901 F. Norris Octopus ii. i. 304 Then, turning to Magnus, excused himself for the acridity of his words. 1956 M. Dickens Angel in Corner ix. 161 A dry, business-like woman who wasted no words, and no sympathy on anyone who made a mistake. 1973 T. Wicker Facing Lions 67 The..voice was as hesitant and its words as rambling and loosely collected as those of the farmers who preceded him. 2002 N. Tosches In Hand of Dante 56 Don Lecco then was young and robust, and he spoke more with rifle and silence than with words. b. With possessive: that which the specified person has said or written. Also with anaphoric or cataphoric determiners, as such words, these words, etc., with reference to a particular expression or form of language. ΚΠ OE Cynewulf Juliana 83 Ic þæt geswerge,..gif þas word sind soþ, monna leofast, þe þu me sagast, þæt ic hy ne sparige. OE Genesis A (1931) 2391 Ne wile Sarran soð gelyfan wordum minum. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xxxv. 303 Swa swa se apostol us warnode ðissum wordum, Est peccatum ad mortem, pro quo rogo ne quis oret. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 217 (MED) On þesse fewe litele wored lotied [prob. read lotieð] fele gode wored gif hie weren wel ioponen [perh. read ioponed]. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1801 Þe alde king..þas wuord seide. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12226 (MED) Fle for-soth fra him wil i, His wordes i mai noght vnderli. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 315 Discreet he was and of greet reuerence He seemed swich hise wordes weeren so wyse. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) ix. 752 Sen thou spekis so ryaly, It is gret skill at men chasty Thi prowd vourdis. 1527 S. Gardiner Let. Wolsey in J. Strype Eccl. Memorials (1721) I. App. 71 At these words the Popes Ho. casting his armes abrode, bad us put in the words we varyed for. a1535 T. More Confut. Barnes in Wks. (1557) 770/2 Hys fyrst authorite be these words of saynte Austyne in hys fyftieth sermon. a1555 H. Latimer 27 Serm. (1562) ii. f. 54 It is an Amphibologia and therfore Erasmus turneth it into latin with such words. 1644 J. Milton tr. M. Bucer Ivdgem. conc. Divorce 21 That in the words of our Saviour there can be no contrarietie. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso 413 The Spaniards said that the Medici should do well to be once quiet... Lorenzo..reply'd to these resentful words. 1749 Copy Let. Fr. Lady at Paris 17 Not yet, answered Mr. de Vaudreuil, at which Words, the Prince darted a menancing Look at him. 1817 P. B. Shelley Ozymandias 9 And on the pedestal these words appear. 1885 ‘H. Conway’ Family Affair III. iii. 40 To use his own words, he was in a cleft stick. 1937 Helena (Montana) Independent 29 Dec. 4/5 After these words, Dr. Dewey can certainly not be accused of being pro-Trotsky! 1989 Time 6 Nov. 51/2 Such words from the leader of a superpower that lays claim to a comprehensive nuclear arsenal..may seem facile. 2005 Philadelphia Mag. (Nexis) Oct. I hate to be a flip-flopper, but..I have to say that my 1999 words strike me today as ridiculous. c. spec. The text of a song or other vocal composition, as distinct from the music; the text of an actor's part.In early use sometimes also in singular in same sense. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > vocal music > [noun] > lyrics wordseOE ditty1552 recitative1659 testo1724 lyric1876 pop lyric1960 verbal1964 bars1994 society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > poem or piece of poetry > lyric poem > [noun] > poem to be sung songeOE wordseOE leothOE laya1240 dittya1300 ditea1325 ode1579 dit1590 canton1594 canto1603 society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > a play > [noun] > words spoken by actors dialogue1572 side speech1728 words1761 line1882 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xlvi. 347 On ðæm chore beoð manige menn gegadrode anes hwæt to singanne anum wordum & anre stefne. lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) ii. 8 Ða lioð þe ic wrecca geo lustbærlice song ic sceal nu heofiende singan, & mid swi[þe] ungeradum wordum gesettan. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Prioress's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 69 He Alma redemptoris herde synge..And herkned ay the wordes and the note. a1450 tr. Aelred of Rievaulx De Institutione Inclusarum (Bodl.) (1984) 7 (MED) We leuen vnsongen in Lente a songe and a worde of melodye that is called Alleluia. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) i. 56 Whyle there ys thre thynges in goddes seruyce..The sentence, the worde, and the songe, the notes and songe serue to the wordes, and the wordes serue to the inwarde sentence. a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) i. iii. 86 Toth' selfe-same tune and words . View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 43 The Tune I still retain, but not the Words. 1761 B. Victor Hist. Theatres Lond. & Dublin II. 5 The Rehearsals..begin to be of Use to the Actor: When he is quite perfect in the Words and Cues. 1774 A. M. Storer in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1844) III. 77 An air set to the words of one of his own ballads. 1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess vii. 156 Till at the last she set herself to man, Like perfect music unto noble words. 1890 S. Baring-Gould Old Country Life 279 A marvellous store of old words and tunes in her head. 1919 H. Granville-Barker in Drama July 3/1 The actor who sits apart to learn his words and ‘form his own conception’ is a nuisance. 1934 A. Huxley Beyond Mexique Bay 19 The tunes to which these songs are sung is always some variant of an old Spanish air called Calypso; the words are home-made and topical. 1986 Early Music 14 369/1 A song, the words of which are in a macaronic mixture of Latin, Swedish and German. 2006 New Yorker 30 Oct. 86/1 He sang along, tra-la-la-ed for a moment when he didn't know the words. d. high (also hard) words: angry words, reproaches. Cf. sense A. 9a. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > anger > manifestation of anger > [noun] > angry speech misword?c1225 hard words1583 storm1602 bark1663 warmth1710 1583 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments (ed. 4) I. 1189/1 Upon this, great and hygh wordes rose betwene them. 1592 L. Andrewes Wonderfull Combate vii. f. 88^v Our Sauiour (we see) doth not only refuse the thing: but also giues him hard words. 1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. i. 1 When hard words, Jealousies and Fears, Set Folks together by the ears. 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xvi. ii. 6 This so incensed her Father, that..he departed from her with many hard Words and Curses. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison II. xii. 86 High words passed between them. They parted in passion. 1842 Ld. Tennyson Dora in Poems (new ed.) II. 34 He and I Had once hard words, and parted. 1879 Scribner's Monthly Nov. 154/1 So these twain stood bandying hard words, but the goodly-greaved Achaeans sprang up with a wondrous din. 1962 D. Lessing Golden Notebk. iv. 451 I was a hundred per cent party member, and there was Harry, a dirty Trot, so there were high words and we parted for ever. 1993 P. Ackroyd House of Dr. Dee (1994) v. 184 Being delayed by some high words with my servant for leaving my close-stool uncleansed. 3. a. An act of speaking or uttering something, usually in contrast with writing (esp. in early use), or with action, gesture, thought, etc.; (in plural) speaking, verbal expression. In later use chiefly with prepositions (esp. by, with). Formerly also: †speech, (manner of) speaking (obsolete except in word of mouth n.).In quot. a1393: a language, a tongue. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > a language > [noun] speechc888 rounOE ledenc1000 tonguec1000 wordOE moalc1175 speaka1300 languagec1300 land-speecha1325 talea1325 lip1382 stevenc1386 languea1425 leed1513 public language1521 idiom1575 idiotism1588 lingua1660 lingua franca1697 receptive language1926 the mind > language > speech > [noun] speechc725 spellc888 tonguec897 spellingc1000 wordOE mathelingOE redec1275 sermonc1275 leeda1300 gale13.. speakc1300 speaking1303 ledenc1320 talea1325 parliamentc1325 winda1330 sermoningc1330 saying1340 melinga1375 talkingc1386 wordc1390 prolationa1393 carpinga1400 eloquencec1400 utteringc1400 language?c1450 reporturec1475 parleyc1490 locutionc1500 talk1539 discourse1545 report1548 tonguec1550 deliverance1553 oration1555 delivery1577 parling1582 parle1584 conveying1586 passage1598 perlocution1599 wording1604 bursta1616 ventilation1615 loquency1623 voicinga1626 verbocination1653 loquence1677 pronunciation1686 loquel1694 jawinga1731 talkee-talkee?1740 vocification1743 talkation1781 voicing1822 utterancy1827 voicing1831 the spoken word1832 outness1851 verbalization1851 voice1855 outgiving1865 stringing1886 praxis1950 the mind > language > speech > [noun] > as expression wordOE speakinga1325 locution1483 verbalization1851 vocalization1887 OE Beowulf (2008) 289 Æghwæþres sceal scearp scyldwiga gescad witan, worda ond worca. OE Blickling Homilies 35 We eac agyltaþ..þurh geþoht, & þurh word, & þurh weorc, & þurh willan. OE Gloria I (Junius) 56 Ðu..man geworhtest and him on dydest oruð.., sealdest word and gewitt. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 675 On his time þa seonde he to Rome Wilfrid biscop to þam pape..& cydde him mid writ & mid worde hu his breðre Peada & Wulfhere & se abbot Saxulf heafden wroht an minstre. c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 173 We sceolen þanken him a mid worde, mid dæda, and mid alle heortæ. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3043 Þatt godess enngell seȝȝde þær. Till iosæp þuss wiþþ worde. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 65 Gif man haueð wið us agilt, woerdes, oðer wurkes, we þat him forgiueð. c1390 (c1300) MS Vernon Homilies in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1877) 57 269 (MED) Sone heo gon chaunge hire word. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) ii. l. 1406 (MED) Couste in Saxoun is to sein Constance upon the word Romein. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15263 For þat i sai yow her wit word, Þar sal yee find in dede. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 2283 Ouþer in word or dede has þou greued him. a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 44 Sho sal be repreuid foure siþe with worde. ?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 9 He was iust & trewe in dede & in word. 1491 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 185/2 Duncane laid in wedset a land and tenement in Linlithqw to Thomas Gudelad be word and but charter or possessioune. a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) ii. iii. sig. D.j No man for despite, By worde or by write His felowe to twite. c1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) i. 109 Wordis w^tout werkis availȝeis nocht a cute. 1572 (a1500) Taill of Rauf Coilȝear (1882) 100 The Carll was wantoun of word. 1580 J. Hay in Catholic Tractates (1901) 39 The traditions quhilk ye have learned ather be wourd, or be our epistle. 1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iii. iii. 97 My words fly vp, my thoughts remaine belowe Words without thoughts neuer to heauen goe. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) ii. i. 61 Words to the heat of deedes too cold breath giues. View more context for this quotation 1616 B. Jonson Poëtaster (rev. ed.) iii. v, in Wks. I. 309 Great Caesars warres cannot be fought with words. 1667 T. Sprat Hist. Royal-Soc. 434 A Society that prefers Works before Words. 1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iii. 9 Thy actions to thy words accord. View more context for this quotation 1728 P. Walker Life A. Peden (1827) p. xiii It is..maliciously spread, both by Word and Writ. 1773 J. Erskine Inst. Law Scotl. II. iii. iii. §31 This contract cannot be perfected till the mandatory has undertaken to execute the mandate; which he may do, either by word, by writing, or by any deed which sufficiently discovers his resolution. 1790 Sempronia III. 61 It misjoins nor thoughts, nor words, nor deeds. 1800 S. T. Coleridge tr. F. Schiller Piccolomini i. iii. 61 Men's words are ever bolder than their deeds. 1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 52 Their deeds did not agree with their words. 1885 Times 5 Dec. 3/5 I think what passed between the parties, whether by word or by writing, should be looked at to see what was the real transaction. 1941 P. Sturges Sullivan's Trav. in Five Screenplays (1986) 669 I'm goin' to ask you once more, neither by word, nor by action, nor by look to make our guests feel unwelcome. 1954 Phylon 15 180 Fighting against prejudice with words and deeds. 1996 Independent 15 Jan. 14/2 All we really need is for teachers and parents to impart, by word and by example, lessons in good citizenship. †b. The faculty of speech. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] speechc725 spellc888 tonguec897 spellingc1000 wordOE mathelingOE redec1275 sermonc1275 leeda1300 gale13.. speakc1300 speaking1303 ledenc1320 talea1325 parliamentc1325 winda1330 sermoningc1330 saying1340 melinga1375 talkingc1386 wordc1390 prolationa1393 carpinga1400 eloquencec1400 utteringc1400 language?c1450 reporturec1475 parleyc1490 locutionc1500 talk1539 discourse1545 report1548 tonguec1550 deliverance1553 oration1555 delivery1577 parling1582 parle1584 conveying1586 passage1598 perlocution1599 wording1604 bursta1616 ventilation1615 loquency1623 voicinga1626 verbocination1653 loquence1677 pronunciation1686 loquel1694 jawinga1731 talkee-talkee?1740 vocification1743 talkation1781 voicing1822 utterancy1827 voicing1831 the spoken word1832 outness1851 verbalization1851 voice1855 outgiving1865 stringing1886 praxis1950 c1390 in C. Horstmann Minor Poems Vernon MS (1892) i. 66 Aue..nostre spes salutis, Per quam cecis redditur lux, & sermo mutis... Heil..hope of ur hele, Bi whom to blynde is ȝolde aȝeyn Siht, and word to doumbe at mele. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1509 (MED) Above alle erthli creatures The hihe makere of natures The word to man hath yove alone. 4. a. Report, information, news, tidings.Frequently without article, esp. in phrasal use with certain verbs, as to bring (send, write, etc.) word; to have word; word came, etc. For the more established phrases see the verbs. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > news or tidings > [noun] wordOE tiding1069 messagec1325 sound1413 news1417 advicec1425 noveltya1450 novelsc1450 newel1484 strangesa1500 nouvellesc1500 uncouthsa1529 occurrent1583 actualité1840 OE Blickling Homilies 173 Þa sona swa þæt word becom to Nerone þæm casere. OE tr. Apollonius of Tyre (1958) viii. 12 Far to Antiocho þam cynge and sege him þæt me sy þæt heafod fram þam hneccan acorfen, and bring þæt word þam cynge to blisse. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1046 Þam cynge com word þet unnfrið scipa lægen be westan and hergodon. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1864 Cordoille [perh. read to Cordoille] com þat wourd þat heo was iworðen widewe. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 826 (MED) He sende þe quene is doȝter word wuch is aunters were. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11454 Word cum til herod þe kyng, Þat þar was suilk kynges cummun. 1415 in 43rd Ann. Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. (1882) App. i. 583 in Parl. Papers (C. 3425) XXXVI. 1 He sende me no more worde of yat mater til I cam to Yorke. ?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) xxv. 119 He schall hafe worde within a day and a nyght. c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 102 Hur husband..hard no tithandis nor wurd of his wyfe nor of his childer. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxv. 221 My brother Huon..is now..in the abbay of seint Mauryse, the abbot there hath sent me worde therof. a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iii. v. 45 I must carry her word quickely. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) ii. v. 119 Bid you Alexas Bring me word, how tall she is. View more context for this quotation 1658 Publick Intelligencer No. 135. 681 From Dantzick they write us word; that the Swedes..set fire on the works which were begun. 1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 284. ¶5 Send me Word..whether he has so great an Estate. 1763 C. Johnstone Reverie (new ed.) I. ix. 32 Scarce was he seated, when he received word, that a strange gentleman wanted to speak with him. 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xlvi. 455 We had word this morning..that Mr. Dombey was doing well. 1853 E. Bulwer-Lytton My Novel I. iv. xxiii. 366 The Parson writes word that the lad will come to-day. 1920 Outing June 137/2 If you discover a fire, put it out if possible. If you cannot, get word to the nearest U.S. Fire Ranger or State Fire Warden. 1959 P. Frank Alas, Babylon vi. 118 The word came through that Washington had been atomized. 1985 Times 22 July 12/5 Jesuit missionaries..brought the word of its therapeutic value to Europe. 2005 New Yorker 2 May 76/2 His aides regularly leak word of his particular resentments to the conflict-hungry press. b. Common report or statement. Also: rumour, gossip. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > rumour > [noun] speechc1000 wordOE hearinga1300 opinion1340 talesa1375 famea1387 inklinga1400 slandera1400 noising1422 rumour?a1425 bruit1477 nickinga1500 commoninga1513 roarc1520 murmura1522 hearsay?1533 cry1569 scandal1596 vogue1626 discourse1677 sough1716 circulation1775 gossip1811 myth1849 breeze1879 sound1899 potin1922 dirt1926 rumble1929 skinny1938 labrish1942 lie and story1950 scam1964 he-say-she-say1972 factoid1973 ripple1977 goss1985 OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxviii. 15 Þis wurd wæs gewidmærsod mid Iudeum. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 82 Þa com þat word to him, þat was widene cuð, þat þe king Latin ȝef Lauine his douter Eneam to are brude. c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) l. 1017 Þe word bigan to springe Of Rymenhilde weddinge. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 1579 (MED) Þe word wide went sone þat william was heled. a1425 (?c1350) Ywain & Gawain (1964) l. 46 (MED) Swilk lose þai wan..Over al þe werld went þe worde. 1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) ii. 78 Our all the land the word gan spryng, That the Bruce the Cumyn had slayn. a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 357 The word sprang throw the contrie that the king of Scottland was landit. 1718 A. Ramsay Christ's-kirk on Green iii. 25 Word gae'd, she was na kanny. 1775 J. Newton Let. 21 Nov. in Lett. to Wife (1793) 175 There is scarcely a house, without some persons ill in it; and the general word is, That they never had such a sort of cold before. 1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. iii. 12 An evil word is gone abroad of me. 1880 J. C. Harris Uncle Remus: Songs & Sayings xix. 89 Word went roun' dat de man Squinch Owl done kotch nudder watzizname. 1908 Times 1 Feb. 9/3 On the Ministerial side of the House not more than 40 or 50 seats were occupied until the word went round that Mr. Morley had risen. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 10 July 8/3 Word spread that the club was raking in the bucks. c. With that-clause as complement. Usually with the. Cf. word has it at Phrases 5b. ΚΠ a1605 R. Bannatyne Memorials Trans. Scotl. (1836) 235 He was brocht to Sanct Androis and put in waird thair... The word is, that the queine of England hes send for him. 1863 W. Hoffman Monitor xviii. 439 At fifteen minutes to 12 the cry from the prow is again heard; and now the word is that ‘land’ has just been seen in the distance. 1864 G. Meredith Let. 1 June (1970) I. 284 Here the word is that Saturday will do better [for the interview]. 1922 Motor West 15 Mar. 16/2 Milton, De Palma, and Murphy are considered strong prospects, and word is that Dario Resta may signalize his ‘come-back’ into racing at San Carlos. 1963 R. Jessup Cincinnati Kid iv. 55 Money is beginning to show for you against The Man, Kid... The word is..that you're good enough to take Lancey, if anybody can. 1982 P. Lovesey False Inspector Dew iv. 153 The word is that the captain will be speaking to us. 2005 A. Gibbons Blood Pressure 75 Dealers. Real pond life. Word is, they're into shooters big style. 5. †a. Common report in praise or celebration of (the actions of) a person; fame, renown. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > good repute > [noun] nameOE wordOE honestya1382 rumoura1387 recommendation1433 wealc1500 wellc1500 credit1529 repute1598 renowna1616 recommends1623 commendation1631 character1649 merit1752 stock1930 OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 192 Þa asprang his word wide geond land. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 127 (MED) Ðo sprong þe word of his holi liflode wide into þe londe. c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 47 Wa is me þet he, oðer heo, habbeð swuch word icaht. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3141 Of hire wisdome sprong þat word wide. c1330 (?a1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) p. 384 (MED) Þe word of him ful wide it ran. c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1521 Your worde and your worchip walkeȝ ay-quere. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) iii. l. 252 The worde of him walkit baith fer and ner. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 6^v The word of his werkes thurghe þe world sprange. b. Scottish. The reputation or character of being, having, or doing what is stated. Sc. National Dict. (at cited word) records this sense as still in use in Orkney, northern Scotland, Lanarkshire, and Wigtownshire in 1974. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > [noun] > for or of being something nameeOE repute1539 reputationc1555 attribution1598 attribute1604 word1722 1722 A. Ramsay Tale Three Bonnets i. 7 Rose had a Word of meikle Siller, Whilk brought a hantla Woers till her. 1777 Whole Proc. Jockey & Maggy (rev. ed.) iv. 24 Thou always was wont to get the word of a good rider. 1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. (at cited word) ‘She gets the word o' being a licht-headit queyn’, i.e. it is generally said of her. 1856 D. Pae Merchant's Daughter ix. 235 The Head gets the word o' bein' a place for smugglin', but I canna say that ever I saw ony thing o't. 1862 A. Hislop Prov. Scotl. 198 They that get the word o' sune rising may lie a' day. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 38 Get the word o' early risin' Ye can sleep a week on end. 6. A command, an order, a behest; a direction, an instruction; an expressed request. Usually qualified by possessive or the. See also word of command n. at Phrases 2d.In to send word sometimes with a mixture of sense A. 4. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > [noun] wordOE askc1275 boonc1275 request1395 requisition?a1450 contemplationa1475 regratec1475 requirement1530 interrogation1551 requiry1598 vote1632 society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > a command wordOE behestc1175 commandmentc1250 precepta1325 mandementc1325 saw1338 hotea1350 biddinga1400 highta1400 judgementc1405 order1543 imperea1546 command1552 shall?1553 impery1561 mandate1576 mandition1597 imperative1606 fiata1631 mitzvah1723 order of the day1804 hukum1838 prikaz1858 OE Crist III 1629 Hy bræcon cyninges word, beorht boca bibod. OE Will of King Ælfred (Sawyer 1507) in F. E. Harmer Sel. Eng. Hist. Docs. 9th & 10th Cent. (1914) 18 Ic wille þa menn þe þa land habbað, þa word gelæstan þe on mines fæder yrfegewrite standað. lOE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judith (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 110 Se ealdorman hi het..þær wunian, oð þæt he hyre word sende. a1300 (c1275) Physiologus (1991) l. 25 Silden he us wille, If we heren to his word. a1300 Passion our Lord l. 363 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 47 Alle þat beoþ in soþe i-hereþ myne word, And heo wel atholdeþ. a1350 (?c1225) King Horn (Harl.) (1901) l. 461 (MED) He wiþ is worde þe knyhty wiþ sworde. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 2 Kings xiv. 23 Þou forsoþe hast don þe woord of þi seruaunt. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 18053 Quen i word herd þat he badd I quok for him. ?a1425 in Neuphilol. Mitteilungen (1969) 70 117 (MED) Þe first word to þe houndis..Is at þe kenel dore whan he opynis hit. 1496 Ld. Bothwell Let. 8 Sept. in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1824) 1st Ser. I. 29 Please your Graice to send me wourd quhat serves or oder thing I sall do. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Luke v. f. lxxx^v Yet nowe at thy worde I wil loose forthe the net. 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. clxiiij His worde only ruled, & his voyce was only hearde. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iv. vi. 38 Then euery souldiour kill his Prisoners, Giue the word through. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 106 Vpon the word, Accoutred as I was, I plunged in. View more context for this quotation 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iii. 708 When at his Word the formless Mass..came to a heap: Confusion heard his voice, and wilde uproar Stood rul'd. View more context for this quotation 1753 Universal Advertiser 17 Mar. (1754) 21 Their Word was Law, and their Opinion Reason. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xxxvii. 270 I rang..to beg my cousins' company. They wanted but the word: In they came. 1803 W. Wordsworth Poems I. 150 O! for a single hour of that Dundee Who on that day the word of onset gave! 1856 C. Dickens Christmas Stories (1874) 50 I gave Rames the word to lower the Longboat and the Surf-boat. 1899 E. Nesbit Story of Treasure Seekers xiv. 262 We all vowed..that we would not touch any of the feast till Dora gave the word next day. 1935 G. Blake Shipbuilders vii. 194 A turnkey..received them into his highly sanitary realm and at a word from the uniformed clerk led them..to the door of a cell. 1990 M. D. Woost in J. Spencer Sri Lanka (1997) viii. 173 The director had sent word that they must put aside their divisions and attend to the work at hand. 7. a. A promise, a pledge, an undertaking; a guarantee. Almost always with possessive. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > intention > [noun] > intention or purpose > expressed wordOE pretencea1500 the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [noun] > pledge or assurance wordOE costOE earnest1221 fayc1300 certainty1303 wager1306 plighta1325 pledge1371 assurancec1386 undertaking?a1400 faithc1405 surementc1410 to make affiancec1425 earnest pennya1438 warrant1460 trow1515 fidelity1531 stipulation1552 warranty1555 pawn1573 arrha1574 avouchment1574 assumption1590 word of honour1598 avouch1603 assecurance1616 preassurance1635 tower-stamp1642 parole of honour1648 spondence1657 honour1659 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxxii. 451 Se cyning [sc. Herod]..nolde þeah for his aðe ne for þam gebeorum his word awægen. OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.i) anno 1014 Man þa fulne freondscipe gefæstnode mid worde & mid wedde on ægþre healfe. lOE Laws of Wihtræd (Rochester) xvi. 13 Biscopes word & cyninges sie unlægne buton aþe. a1275 Body & Soul (Trin. Cambr. B.14.39) l. 22 in A. S. M. Clark Seint Maregrete & Body & Soul (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 118 Þi word was false & fikel. c1300 St. Nicholas (Laud) l. 141 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 244 (MED) Þe schipmen ope truste of is word wel largeliche him mete. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 746 (MED) It sit wel every wiht To kepe his word in trowthe upryht. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 13 He was hardy, wys, and riche..Sooth of his word, benigne and honurable. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate Siege Thebes (Arun.) (1911) l. 2047 (MED) Thow art not..Stable of thy word. c1475 tr. C. de Pisan Livre du Corps de Policie (Cambr.) (1977) 185 (MED) A symple promysse or a worde of a marchaunte shall be trusted. a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) 11 My word nor I shall not be variable, But alwaies..ferme and stable. 1584 T. Lodge Alarum against Vsurers f. 10 Promising..(so his creditour woulde be his wordes master,) to doo his indeauour to perfourme his will. 1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 222 Keepe word Lysander. View more context for this quotation 1631 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. (ed. 2) (2nd state) §c An honest mans word must be his maister. 1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 130 They..did not fly from their Words but stood firmly to what they first proposed. 1799 W. G. Browne Trav. Afr. xxix. 434 An Arab or Turk having once accorded protection..never afterwards withdraws it, and his word may be relied on. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xx. 171 He knew what a savage determined man Osborne was, and how he stuck by his word. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 535 Having solemnly pledged his word..not to attempt anything against the government. 1887 H. R. Haggard She iii No English government goes back on its word. 1902 B. T. Washington Up from Slavery i. 15 The man told me that..he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken. 1983 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 3rd Ser. Episode 5. 174/2 I'll drop the charges against you, you have my word. 2000 I. Edward-Jones My Canapé Hell (2001) vii. 157 The PR had gushed so heavily on the phone that I'd made sure Wendy didn't renege on her word. b. With possessive: an assertion, an affirmation, a declaration, an assurance; esp. as involving the veracity or good faith of the person who makes it.Earliest in on (also upon) one's word at Phrases 1g(b). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > statement > assurance, confirmation, or guarantee > [noun] > involving veracity or good faith of person word1582 1582 R. Mulcaster 1st Pt. Elementarie iii. 14 Doth not Euripides saie & Phorphyrie vpon his word, that a bodie of presence is best worthie to rule? a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 92 His word is more then the miraculous Harpe. View more context for this quotation 1730 Let. to Sir W. Strickland relating to Coal Trade 30 The Buyer..must take his Goods unseen on the Seller's Word. 1736 R. Ainsworth Thes. Linguæ Latinæ To call back one's word, recanto, retracto, denego. 1797 A. Radcliffe Italian I. ii. 66 My Lord, you have never yet doubted my word. 1859 H. Kingsley Recoll. G. Hamlyn vi What surety had he that Lee would leave him in peace..? none but his word—the word of a villain like that. 1870 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David I. Ps. vii. 3–6 If we cannot be believed on our word, we are surely not to be trusted on our oath. 1898 Argosy Oct. 566 And think you he will hold a worthless cur's word against mine? 1949 S. Lewis God-seeker lxii. 411 Just because you've been simple enough to believe the word of some mudheel that all the darkies are just animals. 1961 ‘W. Cooper’ Scenes Married Life ii. vi. 100 I had Robert's word for all this. 1988 J. Ellroy Big Nowhere ii. 16 Our friend here takes the word of the fourth estate over the word of a brother officer. 1993 Lloyd's List 9 Feb. 12/8 New regulations would require insurers to prove the accuracy of medical histories instead of relying on their agents' word. 8. a. A pithy or aphoristic utterance; a saying; a maxim; a proverb. Now rare or merged in sense A. 1.See also byword n. 1, household word n. at household n. and adj. Compounds 2.In quot. c1480: an obscure saying, a riddle. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > saying, maxim, adage > [noun] saw9.. quideOE yedOE wordOE wisdomc1175 bysawe?c1225 riotc1330 sentencec1380 textc1386 dict1432 diction1477 redec1480 say1486 adage1530 commonplace?1531 adagy1534 soothsay1549 maxima1564 apophthegm1570 speech1575 gnome1577 aphorisma1593 imprese1593 spoke1594 symbol1594 maxim1605 wording1606 impress1610 motto1615 dictum1616 impresa1622 dictate1625 effate1650 sentiment1780 great thought1821 brocarda1856 text-motto1880 sententia1917 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > [noun] riddleOE purposec1350 problema1382 propositiona1382 conclusion1393 divinailc1430 opposal?a1439 riddling?c1475 wordc1480 why1532 dark, hard sentence1535 enigma1539 remblere1599 puzzlement1646 gripha1652 puzzler1651 riddlemy riddlemy1652 puzzle1655 crux1718 teaser1759 puzzleation1767 conundrum1790 poser1793 riddle-me-ree1805 stumper1807 tickler1825 sticker1849 brain-teaser1850 grueller1856 question mark1870 brain-twister1878 skull-buster1926 mind-bender1968 OE Wulfstan Gifts Holy Spirit (Hatton) 190 Ac cweþað þæt to worde þæt se bið on geþance wærast & wisast se ðe oðerne can raðost asmeagean & oftost of unwæran sum ðing geræcan. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) l. 300 A word þat is isprunge wide: Þat wiþ þe fule haueþ imene, Ne cumeþ he neuer from him cleine [a1300 Jesus Oxf. clene]. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 164 Senec seith a good word doutelees. He seith he kan no difference fynde Bitwix a man that is out of his mynde And a man which þ^t is dronkelewe. c1440 (?c1350) in G. G. Perry Relig. Pieces in Prose & Verse (1914) 49 Ife þou will be lufely, resayfe these thre wordes with-owtten forgetynge. c1480 (a1400) St. Andrew 1079 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 94 Gywe [= if] he cane vndo þat worde. 1538 T. Elyot Dict. Verbum, a worde, also a sentence comprised in one worde, a prouerbe. 1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. lxxi. 175 There is no truer word then that of Salomon, There is no end of making many Bookes. 1853 R. C. Trench On Lessons in Proverbs 26 That well-known word which forbids the too accurate scanning of a present, ‘One must not look a gift horse in the mouth’. 1859 T. De Quincey Revol. Greece (rev. ed.) in Select. Grave & Gay XI. 145 It seemed likely..that..Shakspere's deep word would be realized, and ‘Darkness be the burier of the dead’. 1905 W. W. Skeat in Eng. Dial. Dict. VI. 541/1 [Essex] Ah, that was a rare word of your mother's. 1986 J. Phillips Exploring Acts II. iv. 204 He spoke to the multitude calmly, as man to man, knowing well the wise word of Solomon, ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath’ (Prov. 15:1). †b. A significant phrase or short sentence associated with a particular person, family, etc., a motto; (also) such a phrase or short sentence inscribed upon something. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written text > an inscription > [noun] > motto or legend reasona1387 wordc1390 posya1450 poesyc1450 pose?1450 legend?a1500 mot1575 motto1589 faburden1594 device1735 c1390 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 138 (MED) Mi word is ‘Deo gracias’. 1431 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 88 My creste, myn armes,..and my word ‘mercy and ioie’. 1532 (a1475) Assembly of Ladies l. 91 in W. W. Skeat Chaucerian & Other Pieces (1897) 383 On her purfyl her word..Bien et loyalment. 1562 G. Legh Accedens of Armory (1568) 42 b The armes of euerye gentleman..with the supporters helme, wreathe, and creast, with mantelles, and the woorde. 1589 ‘Pasquill of England’ Returne of Pasquill sig. Diij The Painter..hath drawne him his word with a Text-pen. Zelus domus tuæ comedit me. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. iv. sig. Q2^v And round about the wreath this word was writ, Burnt I do burne. a1640 T. Risdon Chorogr. Surv. Devon (1811) (modernized text) §144 159 His word was quid non. 1677 F. Sandford Geneal. Hist. Kings Eng. vi. i. 440 A Cloth of Majesty, with the Vallance fringed accordingly, Inscribed with her Word, Humble and Reverence. 9. a. In plural. Contentious, angry, or violent talk between persons, verbal altercation, argument, quarrelling.Formerly frequently in phrasal use with particular verbs, as fall to words, grow to words, etc. See also at words at Phrases 1b(c), to have words at Phrases 4d(a). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > [noun] > noisy or angry quarrel flitingc1200 chidec1325 bicker1330 janglingc1330 chiding1340 wrangling1377 brawling1393 altercationc1405 words1410 brabblementa1563 wording1564 brabblery1567 bickering1573 jarring1574 bickerment1586 frapling1600 brangling1611 jangle1641 campling1660 frabble1685 collieshangie1737 flickering1776 wranglea1797 brabbling1858 bassa-bassa1956 1410–11 in C. Innes Registrum Episcopatus Brechinensis (1856) I. 31 Eftir syndry altricationis and wordis we bad the parteis ramwif. 1488 in R. Arnold Chron. (c1503) f. lxxxviij/2 [They] had many wordis and argumentis the oon ageynst y^e other. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxv. 222 Whan I se that wordes [be] betwen you, I shall Issu out. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 919 The people fell a whistling lowder then before, and the knights in like manner to clapping of their handes, and so grew to wordes one with another. 1599 H. Porter Pleasant Hist. Two Angrie Women of Abington sig. F3 If that she and I do fall to words, Set in thy foote and quarrell with her men. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) ii. v. 46 In argument vpon a Case, Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me. View more context for this quotation 1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata To Rdr. 10 So they fell to words and at last (to end this Whimsical controversie) they resolved to kill one another. 1705 L. Spooner Poet. Recreations 47 And so we fell to Words, and thence to Blows. 1786 Mem. Social Monster 188 In fine, they fell to words, and the gentleman..ventured to call him a scoundrel. 1814 F. Burney Wanderer V. x. lxxxvi. 237 The master of the house..said that he could not be answerable for people's falling to words upon the stairs. 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxxi. 318 Words have arisen between the housemaid and Mr. Towlinson. 1862 C. E. Wilbour Trial Charles M. Jefferds 142 He stood in the way, and I pushed him out of the way. I went up and got the preserves, and there were some words between us. 1892 W. B. Yeats Countess Cathleen in Plays & Controversies (1924) 235 There had been words between my wife and me Because I said I would be master here. 1913 M. Roberts Salt of Sea vii. 182 My old man said he was a blood~sucker, and that led to words. 1959 M. K. Clark Algeria in Turmoil i. 16 Hussein, it is said, made testy by long fasting, responded to the consul's compliment with an ill grace that led to words. 2003 Press & Jrnl. (Aberdeen) (Nexis) 25 Feb. 3 There had been words between Guthrie and the accused before the attack. †b. Defamation, libel. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > slander or calumny > [noun] > a libel libel1521 cartel1590 word1684 scandal1838 1684 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) I. 307 His royall highnesse has brought his action of scandalum magnatum against Dr. Titus Oates for words. II. Christian Church.In singular, mostly with possessive or the; often in fuller form as the word of God, God's word, etc. 10. a. A divine communication, command, or proclamation, as one made to or through a prophet or inspired person; esp. the message of the Christian gospel (also the word of Christ, of grace, of life, of the Lord, etc.). ΘΚΠ society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > New Testament > Gospel > [noun] > message of wordOE gospel-truth1647 OE Blickling Homilies 141 Þa semninga astag mycel wolcen on þa ilcan stowe on þære þe we wæron gesamnode, þær we geherdan Godes word. OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xiii. 19 Ælc þæra þe godes wurd [L. verbum regni] gehyrð & ne ongyt. OE West Saxon Gospels: Mark (Corpus Cambr.) iv. 14 Se þe sæwð, word [L. uerbum] he sæwð. c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 139 Swa sceal eac þeo sawle libbæn bi Godes wordes. c1250 in Stud. Philol. (1931) 28 595 (MED) Godes word hit scal hem litte ant bringen hem to heuenric blisse. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 202 (MED) Godes word is ase a uayr ssewere ine huam me yziȝt alle þe lakkes of þe herte. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 2 Kings vii. 4 & lo þe woord of þe lord [L. sermo Domini] to nathan seiynge, go & spec to my seruaunt dauyþ, þese thyngis seiþ þe lord. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Coloss. iii. 16 The word of Crist [L. verbum Christi] dwelle in ȝou plenteuously. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19214 (MED) Vte o þair hali hertes hord Spedli þai speld godds word. ?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 196 (MED) With-oute þe wurde of god þi soule is but dede. a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) cxviii. §172. 436 My tunge sall shew forth þi worde [L. eloquium tuum]. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark iv. f. xlviij^v As sone as eny trouble or persecucion ariseth for the wordes sake [Gk. διὰ τὸν λόγον], anon they fall. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Acts xx. 32 I commende you to god and to the worde of his grace [Gk. παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ]. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 145 As my sowlle suffereth pacyently wronges..in obedyence of his worde. So I hope to be rewarded after the trouthe of hys worde. 1564 J. Martiall Treat. Crosse f. 83 The lawes of the church (which lawes are the worde off god). 1601 Bp. W. Barlow Def. Protestants Relig. 181 The ministerie of the word is a coadiutor with the Spirite. 1648 T. Shepard Clear Sun-shine of Gospel 12 This old man hath much affection stirred up by the Word. 1653 J. Rogers Ohel or Beth-Shemesh ii. ix. 511 Those that do receive others..into the Church, viz. being full of the Word and Spirit, like fire in the bones. 1731 2nd Add. on Bowman's Serm. 6 Preaching the Word, not triflingly and dully, but with a warmth of affection. 1758 J. Wesley See how Great a Flame iii Sons of God, your Saviour praise!..He hath given the word of grace. 1811 R. Robinson (title) A brief dissertation on the ministration of the Divine Word. 1859 ‘G. Eliot’ Adam Bede III. vi. xlix. 209 Where I used to be blessed in carrying the word of life to the sinful and desolate. 1907 Times 15 July 12/3 They must take good heed that the hymns..were imbued and inspired by the word of Christ in all wisdom. 1927 Abp. R. Davidson Addr. Convoc. 29 Mar. in Church Times 1 Apr. 392/1 Right Reverend and Reverend Brothers in the Sacred Ministry of Word and Sacrament. 1967 Melody Maker 16 Dec. 8/6 Those people who are supposed to be propagating the Lord's word—they're screwing it all up. 1984 S. Terkel Good War (1985) iv. i. 393 I heard the gospel preached in its fullness, and I heeded the word of God and was baptized in Jesus' name. 2002 New Statesman 25 Nov. 54/3 Left to run wild in the back streets of Tokyo in the 1920s, while his parents spread the Word of the Lord to an uninterested Japan. b. The Bible, or some part or passage of it, as considered to be divinely inspired; Scripture. ΘΚΠ society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > [noun] Holy Writc900 writeOE God's bookOE writOE bookOE Biblea1300 holy lettrurec1330 scripturec1330 the (sacred or holy) writings1340 gospel1393 worda1425 escripture1489 Holy Write1508 theologya1513 the written word1533 Book of God1548 oracle1548 hand biblea1680 good book1740 sacred book1782 the sacred volume1850 bibliotheca1879 Kitab1885 a1425 Of Mynystris in Chirche (Bodl. 788) in T. Arnold Sel. Eng. Wks. J. Wyclif (1871) II. 400 (MED) Alle þes writeris of Goddis lawe hadden autorite of God to be scribis of Goddis word. c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 274 (MED) And speciali that he not drenche al the leiser, which tho men..schulden haue forto reede or heere the word of God. 1553 Proclam. Mary I 18 Aug. (single sheet) Some euell disposed persons, whiche take vpon them..to interprete the worde of God, after theyr owne brayne. 1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1594/2 Gage. The word saith it is his body, before it is eaten. Wood. That wordes would I faine here. But I am sure they be not in the Bible. 1567 W. Allen Treat. Def. Priesthod Pref. They remember well (such is theyr exercise in y^e woord) how y^e disdayne of Moyses & Aarons prelacy ouer y^e people [etc.]. 1602 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor iii. i. 41 What the word and the sword, doth that agree well? a1668 J. Alleine in Life (1838) v. 51 Have not I neglected or been very overly in the reading of God's holy word? 1736 C. Hayes Vindic. Hist. Septuagint Pref. p. iv They alledged that the Hebrew Text..was the only authentic Word of God. 1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 174 Mighty to parry, and push by God's word With senseless noise. 1859 H. Kingsley Recoll. G. Hamlyn xl 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. 1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost i. 7 The word of God declares, first of all, that the Son of God is ‘The true Light’. 1907 H. C. Shelley John Harvard iii. 112 He [sc. Tyndale] quickly discovered that not in London nor yet in all England was there any room for a man to translate God's Word. 1990 Christian Herald 9 June 7/1 Every Scripture is profitable and God would not have placed it in his Word if it were not going to help us. 11. As a title of Christ: = Logos n. Also the Word of the Father, the Eternal Word, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > the Trinity > the Son or Christ > [noun] > as word of God wordOE Logos1587 speech1587 OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John i. 1 In principio erat uerbum : in fruma uæs uord. OE Ælfric Homily (Cambr. Ii.4.6) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1967) I. 399 Se Hælend..is gehaten Word.., and he sylfð [read sylf] cwæð forði þæt seo spræc nære þe he þa spræc to him his sylfes agen spræc, ac is his Fæder spræc, þonne he is þæs Fæder Word. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6692 Go-dess word wass wurrþenn mann. To þolenn dæþ onn eorþe. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 46 Hise word..is hise wise sune, Ðe was of hin fer ear bi-foren Or ani werldes time boren. c1450 (c1400) Sowdon of Babylon (1881) l. 3 God..That al thinge made in sapience By vertue of woorde and holy goost. c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) l. 615 (MED) Godus wordliche word, as we wel trowen, Is Sone soþliche of Man. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 103 The endelesse worde of the father, that is oure lorde Iesu cryste. 1567 W. Allen Treat. Def. Priesthod 19 The seruile fourme of our owne nature, ioyned merueilously in one person, to the woorde and eternall Sonne of God the Father. 1656 H. Jeanes Mixture Scholasticall Divinity 86 It was more congruent for the word, the second person to be incarnate..then the first person..or the third. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost vii. 163 And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee This I perform. View more context for this quotation 1701 C. Cooper Vail turn'd Aside iii. 68 It was impossible that the Eternal word could be changed into Flesh and Die. 1766 A. Nicol Poems Several Subj. 222 The Word made flesh, dwelt on the earth. 1814 H. F. Cary tr. Dante Vision III. vii. 29 Until it pleas'd the Word of God to come Amongst them down. 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam xxxvi. 56 And so the Word had breath, and wrought With human hands the creed of creeds. View more context for this quotation 1875 J. B. Lightfoot St. Paul's Epist. Colossians & Philemon 221/2 The Eternal Word is the goal of the Universe, as He was the starting-point. 1920 Biblical World 54 600/1 God has spoken to us in Christ, the Word of the Father. 1987 T. Paulin Fivemiletown 25 Judas and the Word Are stalking each other Through this scroggy town. 2003 G. O'Collins & M. Farrugia Catholicism i. 22 Bringing out the true (bodily and spiritual) humanity of the incarnate Word of God. III. An element or unit of speech, language, etc. 12. Any of the sequences of one or more sounds or morphemes (intuitively recognized by native speakers as) constituting the basic units of meaningful speech used in forming a sentence or utterance in a language (and in most writing systems normally separated by spaces); a lexical unit other than a phrase or affix; an item of vocabulary, a vocable.Sometimes used specifically to denote either an item of vocabulary in the standard form in which it is generally cited in a dictionary, etc. (e.g. the infinitive of a verb), or this form considered together with its grammatical inflections as expressing a common lexical meaning or range of meanings. a. With reference to the spoken form primarily or considered together with the written form. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] wordOE diction1416 vocable1440 phrase1552 accent?1553 whid1567 vowel1578 mot1591 accenty1600 quatcha1635 verba1716 verbalism1787 word1825 word1843 dicky1893 vocabulary item1916 monolog1929 dicky bird1932 word-type1936 lexical item1964 lexon1964 OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 5 Butan ðan [read ðam] stafum ne mæg nan word beon awriten. lOE tr. Alcuin De Virtutibus et Vitiis (Vesp.) in R. D.-N. Warner Early Eng. Homilies (1917) 103 Þu cweðst, ‘Cras’, þæt is Leden word & is on ure þeodan ‘Tomorgen’. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) Ded. l. 109 He ne maȝȝ nohht..Onn ennglissh writenn rihht te word. Þatt wite he wel to soþe. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 17 (MED) Þe salme þe hie alle writen is cleped credo, After þe formeste word of þe salme. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 7 (MED) Þis word ‘zeterday’..þe iurie clepeþ ‘sabat’. a1450 (a1397) Prol. Old Test. in Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Cambr. Mm.2.15) (1850) xv. 57 This word autem, either vero, mai stonde for forsothe, either for but. c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 201 (MED) What case be þes wordes ‘incolarum’ vel ‘incolis’? c1475 Court of Sapience (Trin. Cambr.) (1927) l. 1823 (MED) These foure seruyd that Science liberall In wrytyng, pronowsing, and construyng Of letter, sillable, worde, reason. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) 2nd Prol. 7 There ys many wordes in Latyn that we haue no propre englyssh accordynge therto. 1579 E. K. in E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Ep. Ded. This Poet..hath labored to restore, as to their rightfull heritage, such good and naturall English wordes, as have beene long time out of use. a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. i. 59 You doe ill to teach the childe such words . View more context for this quotation 1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxxi. 192 Words..have their signification by agreement, and constitution of men. 1677 J. Dryden Authors Apol. Heroique Poetry in State Innocence Pref. sig. c^v A mighty Wittycism, (if you will pardon a new word!). 1694 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding (new ed.) iii. ii. 223 (margin) Words are sensible Signs necessary for Communication. a1722 J. Toland Coll. Several Pieces (1726) II. 198 A small crumb of bread is transform'd into the body of Christ by four words of a Mass-priest. 1774 Ld. Chesterfield Lett. to Son I. xlii. 135 We must..not pass a word which we do not understand..without exactly inquiring the meaning of it. 1826 S. Smith Wks. (1859) II. 95/1 Words, in their origin, have a natural or primary sense. 1853 R. C. Trench On Lessons in Proverbs 31 So long as a language is living, it will be appropriating foreign words, putting forth new words of its own. 1875 W. S. Jevons Money (1878) 250 We use a great many words with a total disregard of logical precision. 1910 E. M. Forster Howards End xvi. 138 ‘I receive what I take to be an invitation from these—ladies’ (he drawled the word). 1959 Language 35 275 To every word (i.e. word-type, not each occurrence of the ‘same’ word) in a very long text may be assigned a probability of occurrence. 2006 A. Kuczynski Beauty Junkies viii. 158 She is plump in a manner that suggests neither pleasing nor zaftig nor gemütlich, all those words that suggest fat is pleasant. b. †(a) As denoting a thing or person: a name, a title, an appellation (obsolete); (b) as expressing an idea or concept: a term, an expression. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] nameeOE wordeOE clepinga1300 namingc1300 neveningc1300 titlec1390 notea1393 stylec1400 calling?a1425 nomination?a1425 vocable1440 appellation1447 denomination?a1475 vocation1477 preface1582 prenomination1599 nomenclature1610 expressiona1631 denotation1631 appellative1632 compellation1637 denominate1638 nomenclation1638 nominance1642 titularity1643 entitlement1823 compellative1830 cognomen1852 tally1929 denotative1944 anthroponym1952 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > phrase > [noun] > term or expression wordeOE terma1398 conveyance1586 epithet1600 terminations1600 notion1655 description1826 eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) v. xii. 422 In his þere meran byrig, sio alde worde þere þiode his nemded [read is nemned] Wiltaburg; Galleas nemnað Traiectum. OE Blickling Homilies 135 Se Hælend cwæþ.., ‘Ic eow sende frofre Gast.’ Þæs wordes andgit is swa mon cweþe ‘þingere’, oþþe ‘frefrend’. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 101 (MED) ‘Adopcioun’ zuo is a word of laȝe. a1400 Ancrene Riwle (Pepys) (1976) 11 Þe nyne woordes þat men clepen þe nyne ordres of aungels. 1571 Ld. Burghley in E. Nares Mem. (1830) II. 544 (note) Your assured loving friend, William Cecill. I forgot my new word, William Burleigh. 1596 Raigne of Edward III sig. C1 Deuise for faire a fairer word then faire. View more context for this quotation 1596 J. Harington New Disc. Aiax sig. H4 I doe before hand gyue the worde of disgrace to any that shal so say. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §354 Sulphureous and Mercuriall, which are the Chymists Words. 1678 J. Moxon Mech. Dyalling 48 An Explanation of some Words of Art used in this Book. 1712 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 13 Mar. (1948) II. 513 He dreams of nothing but Cockets, & Dockets and Drawbacks, and other Jargon words of the Custom house. 1781 M. J. Armstrong Hist. & Antiq. Norfolk IX. 83 The village lies in a valley: a great opportunity, or, to use the modern word, capability is afforded from its situation to form canals. 1858 A. H. Clough Amours de Voyage in Atlantic Monthly Feb. 420 Rubbishy seems the word that most exactly would suit it. 1922 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. Oct. 122 A word for the whole range of phenomena is wanted. 2006 Time Out N.Y. 12 Oct. 38/4 This is a true Austrian beisl, the colloquial word for a small, informal bar with food. c. In contrast with the thing or idea signified. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > element of speech having meaning wordOE OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 22 Se singð mid gaste, se ðe clypað þa word mid muðe, and ne understænt þæs andgites getacnunge. OE Ælfric Homily (Trin. Cambr. B.15.34) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1968) II. 503 Bispell getacnað on bocum gelome oðer þing on wordum and oðer on getacnungum. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Job 2nd Prol. 670 Now woordis, now sens, now either togidere shal tellen out. a1477 Bk. of Curtesye (Oriel 79(2)) (1882) 343 His [sc. Chaucer's] longage was so feyre and pertinent, That semed vnto mennys heryng, Not only the worde, but verrely the thing. 1566 T. Stapleton Returne Vntruthes Jewelles Replie iii. f.61 So children and Parisheclarkes are taught to answer the Priest, knowing well the wordes what he saieth, though not vnderstanding what the wordes meane. 1699 R. Bentley Diss. Epist. Phalaris (new ed.) 189 Wise men take Words for the shadow of Things. 1722 W. Wollaston Relig. of Nature v. 87 This word [sc. nature]..frequently..is used merely as a word.., they who use it not knowing themselves, what they mean by it. 1757 T. Gray Ode I iii. iii, in Odes 11 Thoughts, that breath, and words, that burn. 1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. i. 114 A business of words only, and ideas not concerned in it. 1822 Examiner 723/2 Men are apt to be led away by words. 1827 J. Robinson Archæol. Græca (ed. 2) x. p. lxiii The philosophy of Aristotle is rather the philosophy of words than of things. 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam lxxiii. 102 What practice howsoe'er expert In fitting aptest words to things..Hath power to give thee as thou wert? View more context for this quotation 1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law ii. 63 Words, which should be the servants of Thought, are too often its masters. 1876 W. S. Jevons Logic vi. 22 The meaning of a word is that thing which we think about when we use the word. 1898 ‘H. S. Merriman’ Roden's Corner x. 106 ‘You don't take any interest in the Malgamite scheme?’ ‘No,..And I am weary of the very word.’ 1912 Times 5 Aug. 7/3 A question of words. 1989 Sci. Amer. Nov. 102/3 Nor is it right to define a concept rather than a word; lexicographic amateurs..tend to confuse the two. d. A letter or sequence of letters which constitutes the written (engraved, printed, etc.) form of a word (sense A. 12a).Sometimes with reference to the writing of a word as an indivisible unit, e.g. as one or a single word, as two words.four-letter word: see four-letter adj. at four adj. and n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written text > [noun] > written word wordOE the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > specific written wordOE OE Riddle 47 1 Moððe word fræt. c1405 (c1380) G. Chaucer Second Nun's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 210 Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were. 1450 in A. Clark Lincoln Diocese Documents (1914) 38 (MED) A Masseboke, the first worde of the secund leeff: dei dixit. 1521 A. Barclay Introd. Frenche sig. Bj Whan .P. is wryten in the ende of a worde in frenche. 1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. x. 151 Cause also euery one to spel the words which he hath made in Latine,..so as [etc.]. a1680 S. Charnock Several Disc. Existence of God (1682) 233 Whatsoever we hear is like words writ in sand. 1725 I. Watts Logick i. iv. §1 We convey [our Ideas] to each other by the Means of certain Sounds, or written Marks, which we call Words. a1832 F. D. Maurice Moral & Metaphysical Philos. in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) II. 556/1 Betokening, as the words inscribed upon their foreheads implied, that they were a dedicated race. 1884 N.E.D. I. Gen. Explan. p. xxiii There are necessarily many compounds as to which usage has not yet determined whether they are to be written with the hyphen or as single words. 1928 Times 8 Aug. 12/3 A circle inset bearing the words around the margin, ‘Produce of England and Wales’. 1951 M. Cowley Exile's Return vii. 284 Two or three sheets of typewritten manuscript, with words crossed out and new lines scrawled in. 2004 Independent 19 July (Review section) 2/2 T-shirts bearing the words ‘You're fired’ have gone on sale. e. With the, in predicative use. (a) The right word for the thing, the most apt or appropriate expression; the relevant notion, consideration, or action (in regard to a situation identified in the context).mum's the word: see mum int. 2. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > proper or appropriate word word1600 1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. v. 48 Bid them prepare dinner? Clowne. That is done to sir, onely couer is the word . View more context for this quotation 1609 R. Armin Hist. Two Maids More-clacke sig. D^v Gang is the word, and hang is the worst, wee are euen. a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) v. v. 247 Come Sir, are you ready for death?.. Hanging is the word, Sir. 1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour iii. i. 24 Bilbo's the Word, and Slaughter will ensue. 1700 W. Congreve Way of World i. i. 13 If Throats are to be cut, let Swords clash; snug's the Word, I shrug and am silent. 1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 403. ¶5 Sharp's the Word. 1794 R. B. Sheridan Duenna (new ed.) ii. 38 Trust me when tricking is the word. 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xlviii. 474 Steady's the word, and steady it is. Keep her so! 1854 Hunt's Yachting Mag. May 240 Second working jib and reefed bowsprit was now the word. 1885 W. D. Howells Indian Summer (1886) ii. 16 Lady-like was the word for Mrs. Bowen. 1942 H. MacInnes Assignment in Brittany xxvi. 277 He thought, Masochist is the word. He's made himself read every word of Corlay's diary and poems, and they are eating into him. 1978 J. Updike Coup iii. 121 That's how you got me into this hellhole,..building the no-nations up from scratch. Scratch is the word. Scratch is where you start, and scratch is where you end. 2002 N. Lebrecht Song of Names v. 157 Mabel reached up and put a gloved hand gently on my Adam's apple. ‘Shtum's the word, right?’ (b) In the negative, by litotes: to be an utterly inadequate word (to describe the present case). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] wordOE diction1416 vocable1440 phrase1552 accent?1553 whid1567 vowel1578 mot1591 accenty1600 quatcha1635 verba1716 verbalism1787 word1825 word1843 dicky1893 vocabulary item1916 monolog1929 dicky bird1932 word-type1936 lexical item1964 lexon1964 1843 G. Borrow Bible in Spain III. xvi. 314 ‘Liked them,’ said he; ‘you might just as well ask a person who has just seen the Niagara Falls how he liked them—like is not the word, mister.’ 1871 W. S. Gilbert Les Brigands iii. 28 Pri. Well, how do we stand at present. Are we pretty rich? Tre. Rich? Rich isn't the word! 1885 W. S. Gilbert Princess Ida ii Contempt? Why, damsel, when I think of man, Contempt is not the word. 1936 P. G. Wodehouse Laughing Gas viii. 86 Not since the distant days of my first private school had I been conscious of such a devastating hunger. Peckish is not the word. 2001 A. Gurnah By the Sea (2002) iv. 109 He..gave up his time to repentance and prayer and study. Pious was not the word. f. In (chiefly negative) contexts relating to language proficiency: the slightest amount of a particular language. Frequently in not to speak (also know, understand, etc.) a word of. ΚΠ 1602 R. Carew Surv. Cornwall i. f. 56 Most of the Inhabitants can no word of Cornish. 1726 J. Barker Lining of Patch-work Screen 155 I hope, there is a Possibility of finding her, because she cannot speak one Word of English. 1779 T. Forrest Voy. New Guinea 8 They knew not a word of the Malay tongue. 1819 Metropolis (ed. 2) I. 222 His loudest applauders were..stupids..who scarcely could speak a word of French. 1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey I. 182 Even the priest, a Bulgarian, did not know a word of Greek. 1900 W. S. Churchill London to Ladysmith 190 Worst of all, I could not speak a word of Dutch..and how was I to get food or direction? 2003 J. Burdett Bangkok 8 (2004) xxvii. 260 I'd never been outside Thailand and I hardly spoke a word of English. g. Appended to a (frequently capitalized) letter of the alphabet, to denote euphemistically a word beginning with that letter which is coarse slang or otherwise likely to give offence; also used to denote a word which is not itself offensive but is regarded (frequently humorously) as unmentionable or taboo in a particular context.Recorded earliest in F-word n. 1. See also C-word n., N-word n. 1. ΚΠ 1956 W. E. Collinson in Moderna Språk 50 13 Even today the British printer would draw the line at the f-word used in Lady Chatterley's Lover. 1981 J. Chambers My Blue Heaven 43 You mean... You're really..? (They nod.) The L-word [sc. lesbians]? Lord God, I never met one before. 1991 S. Faludi Backlash Introd. p. xii So many hit songs have the B-word to refer to women that some rap music seems to be veering toward rape music. 1995 Star Ledger (Newark, New Jersey) 12 Feb. i. 2/4 The promised vetoes mark a shift to a more confrontational stance... Press Secretary Mike McCurry said the White House decided to throw out the ‘V-word’ for the first time because [etc.]. 2005 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Aug. 179/3 The p-word, ‘prison’, is the great unmentionable. 13. In extended use. a. Any sequence of letters considered as a discrete unit. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] wordOE diction1416 vocable1440 phrase1552 accent?1553 whid1567 vowel1578 mot1591 accenty1600 quatcha1635 verba1716 verbalism1787 word1825 word1843 dicky1893 vocabulary item1916 monolog1929 dicky bird1932 word-type1936 lexical item1964 lexon1964 1825 Key to Spelling 24 Words of three letters [includes] alc elc ilc..bla ble [etc.]. 1977 Verbatim Dec. 11/1 A word is any collection of characters with a space on each side. 1989 New Scientist 21 Oct. 46/1 In chaos theory, we distinguish between different paths by ‘words’ made up of letters. For the pin-ball we write an ‘l’ for a bounce to the left, and an ‘r’ for a bounce to the right. 2004 C. S. Iliopoulos et al. in J.-J. Levy et al. Exploring New Frontiers Theoret. Informatics 267 A string or word is a sequence of zero or more characters drawn from an alphabet. b. Telegraphy. A sequence of a prescribed fixed number of characters (including a space) in a message that has been coded or redivided for telegraphic transmission. [In quot. 1897 apparently after French mot de convention, lit. ‘conventional word’ (Marquis de Viaris 1888, in Le génie civil 16 June 105).] ΘΚΠ society > communication > telecommunication > telegraphy or telephony > telegraphy > [noun] > telegraphic message > word in word1897 1840 S. F. B. Morse U.S. Patent 1647 2/1 Signs of words, and even of set phrases or sentences, may be adopted for use and communication in like manner.] 1897 J. Nicolson Telegr. Signals ii. 20 Artificial letter-grouping, mathematically called ‘words’, or permutations,..is referred to in a pamphlet by the French cryptographist, M. le Marquis de Viaris..as a substitute for telegraphic codes composed of dictionary words. 1976 R. N. Renton Telegraphy i. 14/2 The ‘telegraph word’ is taken as an arbitrary 5-letter word with one letter-space, making six characters in all. c. Mathematics. A sequence of symbols in a particular context; spec. an ordered sequence of generators of a group. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > numerical arrangement > [noun] > set > sequence subsequence1847 sequence1882 word1936 Lucas1953 Cauchy sequence1955 1936 Ann. Math. 37 783 We adopt the convention followed in W. G. relative to true and cyclic words, a cyclic word being a sequence of letters in cyclic order. 1952 S. C. Kleene Introd. Metamath. xiii. 382 A finite sequence of zero or more (occurrences of) the letters, we call a word. 1971 G. Higman in M. B. Powell & G. Higman Finite Simple Groups vi. 212 Any word in the n_i and their inverses determines a partial map of the set of equivalence classes into itself. 1981 Sci. Amer. Mar. 26/1 A lovely ‘pretty pattern’ called the 6-U state..can be reached from the start position by way of the word L′ R² F′ L′ B′ U B L F R U′ R L R_s F_s U_s R_s. 2006 Theoret. Computer Sci. 352 31 (title) Occurrences of palindromes in characteristic Sturmian words. d. Computing. A consecutive string of bits (now typically 16, 32, or 64, but formerly fewer) that can be transferred and stored as a unit.machine word: see machine word n. at machine n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ society > computing and information technology > data > [noun] > unit of > as word word length1887 word1946 machine word1954 1946 H. H. Goldstine & J. Von Neumann in J. von Neumann Coll. Wks. (1963) V. 28 In ‘writing’ a word into the memory, it is similarly not only the time effectively consumed in ‘writing’ which matters, but also the time needed to ‘find’ the specified location in the memory. 1964 F. L. Westwater Electronic Computers ix. 140 The basic unit of internal storage is called a ‘word’, which may contain either instructions or data. 1989 J. Gatenby GCSE Computer Stud. i. 4 Mainframe computers typically used in High Street banks, etc., work with 64-bit words. 2003 Daily Tel. 16 Sept. i. 33/1 My company..built the train control software and hardware around a ‘KDN2’ process control digital computer and a Hornby Dublo train set. This computer has only 4,000 words of memory (24 bits each). B. int. slang (originally U.S., in the language of rap and hip-hop). Also word up. Expressing affirmation, agreement, or admiration: ‘That's the truth!’ ‘There's no denying it!’ ‘For sure!’ ΚΠ 1981 J. Spicer et al. Money (Dollar Bill Y'all) (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 301 Word.., that's a good record, man. 1985 N.Y. Mag. 3 June 40/2 Just trying to stay out of trouble... Word up. 1986 ‘Cameo’ (title of record) Word up! 1993 B. Cross It's not about Salary 251 Tommy Boy signed it, and here's the House of Pain, word up. 2002 N. McDonell Twelve liii. 133 ‘Yo b, we gonna smoke some mad bowls tonight,’ Timmy says to Mark Rothko. ‘Word, word,’ Mark Rothko agrees sagely. Phrases P1. With a preposition. †a. after the word: word for word, verbatim; = word for word adv. Cf. word after word at Phrases 2a(a). Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > word for word fro word unto wordeOE word after wordeOE word by wordeOE word in wordeOE word for wordc1400 after the worda1450 verbatim?1503 verbatimly1587 verbally1588 verbatim et literatim1642 syllabically1654 totidem verbis1659 a1450 (a1397) Prol. Old Test. in Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Cambr. Mm.2.15) (1850) xv. 57 This wole..make the sentence open, where to Englisshe it aftir the word, wolde be derk and douteful. b. (a) at a (also one) word. (i) Upon the utterance of a single word; as soon as a word is spoken; without more discussion or parley; †without further ado, in short order, forthwith (obsolete). Similarly †at the forme (also first) word. ΘΚΠ the world > time > relative time > immediacy > [adverb] soonc825 ratheeOE rathelyeOE rekeneOE rekenlyOE thereright971 anonOE forth ona1000 coflyc1000 ferlyc1000 radlyOE swiftlyc1000 unyoreOE yareOE at the forme (also first) wordOE nowOE shortlya1050 rightOE here-rightlOE right anonlOE anonc1175 forthrightc1175 forthwithalc1175 skeetc1175 swithc1175 with and withc1175 anon-rightc1225 anon-rights?c1225 belivec1225 lightly?c1225 quickly?c1225 tidelyc1225 fastlyc1275 hastilyc1275 i-radlichec1275 as soon asc1290 aright1297 bedenea1300 in little wevea1300 withoute(n dwella1300 alrightc1300 as fast (as)c1300 at firstc1300 in placec1300 in the placec1300 mididonec1300 outrightc1300 prestc1300 streck13.. titec1300 without delayc1300 that stounds1303 rada1325 readya1325 apacec1325 albedenec1330 as (also also) titec1330 as blivec1330 as line rightc1330 as straight as linec1330 in anec1330 in presentc1330 newlyc1330 suddenlyc1330 titelyc1330 yernec1330 as soon1340 prestly1340 streckly1340 swithly?1370 evenlya1375 redelya1375 redlya1375 rifelya1375 yeplya1375 at one blastc1380 fresha1382 ripelyc1384 presentc1385 presently1385 without arrestc1385 readilyc1390 in the twinkling of a looka1393 derflya1400 forwhya1400 skeetlya1400 straighta1400 swifta1400 maintenantc1400 out of handc1400 wightc1400 at a startc1405 immediately1420 incontinent1425 there and then1428 onenec1429 forwithc1430 downright?a1439 agatec1440 at a tricec1440 right forth1440 withouten wonec1440 whipc1460 forthwith1461 undelayed1470 incessantly1472 at a momentc1475 right nowc1475 synec1475 incontinently1484 promptly1490 in the nonce?a1500 uncontinent1506 on (upon, in) the instant1509 in short1513 at a clap1519 by and by1526 straightway1526 at a twitch1528 at the first chop1528 maintenantly1528 on a tricea1529 with a tricec1530 at once1531 belively1532 straightwaysa1533 short days1533 undelayedly1534 fro hand1535 indelayedly1535 straight forth1536 betimesc1540 livelyc1540 upononc1540 suddenly1544 at one (or a) dash?1550 at (the) first dash?1550 instantly1552 forth of hand1564 upon the nines1568 on the nail1569 at (also in, with) a thoughtc1572 indilately1572 summarily1578 at one (a) chop1581 amain1587 straightwise1588 extempore1593 presto1598 upon the place1600 directly1604 instant1604 just now1606 with a siserary1607 promiscuously1609 at (in) one (an) instant1611 on (also upon) the momenta1616 at (formerly also on or upon) sight1617 hand to fist1634 fastisha1650 nextly1657 to rights1663 straightaway1663 slap1672 at first bolt1676 point-blank1679 in point1680 offhand1686 instanter1688 sonica1688 flush1701 like a thought1720 in a crack1725 momentary1725 bumbye1727 clacka1734 plumba1734 right away1734 momentarily1739 momentaneously1753 in a snap1768 right off1771 straight an end1778 abruptedly1784 in a whistle1784 slap-bang1785 bang?1795 right off the reel1798 in a whiff1800 in a flash1801 like a shot1809 momently1812 in a brace or couple of shakes1816 in a gird1825 (all) in a rush1829 in (also at, on) short (also quick) order1830 straightly1830 toot sweetc1830 in two twos1838 rectly1843 quick-stick1844 short metre1848 right1849 at the drop of a (occasionally the) hat1854 off the hooks1860 quicksticks1860 straight off1873 bang off1886 away1887 in quick sticks (also in a quick stick)1890 ek dum1895 tout de suite1895 bung1899 one time1899 prompt1910 yesterday1911 in two ups1934 presto changeo1946 now-now1966 presto change1987 OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 284 Þam hundum bebead þæt hi ablunnon þæs rynes... Þa hundas ða stodon æt þam forman worde swilce heora fet wæron gefæstnode to þære eorþan. c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) l. 114 Þe children hi broȝte to stronde..In to schupes borde At þe furste worde. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 7770 Þen drogh saule his awen squorde And slogh him-self atte a worde. a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 363 Thes vii sages..bad here lodesman at a word Shuld cast hem ouer the ship bord. a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 764 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 324 When þe sewer comys vnto þe borde, Alle þe mete he sayes at on bare worde. a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) i. ii. 267 If I would not haue taken him at a word, I would I might goe to Hell. View more context for this quotation 1781 W. Cowper Retirem. 447 A man..Who comes when call'd, and at a word withdraws. 1835 G. Webster Edinb. Lit. Album 198 He..entered with interest into all her Ladyship's benevolent plans. He paid her down at a word ten shillings for the benefit of some case. 1889 Littell's Living Age 10 Aug. 353/2 He..would dash into the river in flood at a word, with his clothes on as often as not. 1936 R. P. Utter & G. B. Needham Pamela's Daughters iii. 49 She is..in such a state of mind and feeling that in an instant and at a word she can change from fancy free to pure unalterable passion. 2007 Southern Rev. (U.S.) (Nexis) 22 Sept. 828 The present age is a storm, And holy men turn warrior At a word. †(ii) In short, briefly; = in a word at Phrases 1e(a); (in later use more usually) frankly, truthfully. Similarly at few words, at short words, etc. to be at a (also one) word: to be brief; to be honest, to speak plainly; = as good as one's word at good adj., n., adv., and int. Phrases 4e; (also) to stand by what one has said, to have nothing further to say Obsolete (chiefly archaic and regional in later use). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > be concise or brief [verb (intransitive)] to be at a (also one) wordOE to make short1556 to be brief1588 abbreviate1596 to cut short1691 to cut (also make) a long story short1732 to make short of long1883 society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > [adverb] > in short at a (also one) wordOE at few wordsOE shortly1303 in short wordsc1380 oncec1384 in short and plainc1386 in sum?a1425 at short wordsa1450 at short1513 briefly?1521 in a word1522 in one word1522 with a word1522 summa1535 to be short1544 in (the) fine1545 in few1550 summarily1567 in a sum1574 in shorta1577 in brief1609 briefa1616 in a little1623 tout court1747 sans phrase1808 in a nutshell1822 in nuce1854 OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Corpus Oxf.) iii. xiv. 206 Swa swa ic nu æt feawum wordum secge, be þon þe þa sædon þe hine cuþon. c1330 Gregorius (Auch.) (1914) l. 962 A Cardinal spac þer among, And seyd schortliche att wordes þre. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales (Hengwrt) (2003) Thopas-Melibeus link l. 11 Pleynly at o word Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a tord. a1450 (?a1300) Richard Coer de Lyon (Caius) l. 2813 in K. Brunner Mittelengl. Vers-roman über Richard Löwenherz (1913) 235 The Sarezynes..comen afftyr ffaste fflyngyng, At schorte wurdes a gret route. a1475 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Harl.) (1927) l. 1808a Alisaunder dyed, at worddis short. 1483 Vulgaria abs Terencio (T. Rood & T. Hunte) sig. nij^v Tell me att oon word [L. vno verbo] what thou woldist wyth me. 1553 T. Wilson Arte Rhetorique (1580) 205 All goodnesse (to speake at a worde) goeth awaie. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xxxj ^v He wrote to themperour..repeting the whole action at few words. 1579 A. Fleming tr. Synesius Paradoxe sig. d.iij To be at a worde, such as so deintilie doe dresse their crisped skonse: what are they but effeminate fellowes..and hucksters of their owne honestie. 1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ii. i. 104 Vrsula I know you well enough, you are signior Anthonio. Antho. At a word I am not. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iii. ii. 294 Go to, I haue spoke at a word, God keep you. View more context for this quotation 1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 104 At a word, all [names] which in English had Of set before them,..and all which in Latine..have had De præfixed,..were borrowed from places. a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) i. iii. 14 I am at a word: follow. View more context for this quotation 1694 W. Penn Brief Acct. Rise Quakers ii. 45 They were at a Word in Dealing: Nor could their customers many Words tempt them from it. 1780 S. J. Pratt Emma Corbett I. i. 1 To be at a word, will you render it possible for me to call you my son? a1845 Lady Nairne Caller Herrin' in Lays from Strathearn (1846) i. 6 At ae word be in ye're dealin'. 1846 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 31 Jan. 74/2 To be at a word with you, doctor, we must either tear open or tear down your house, or get him; for get him we will! 1857 T. Martin tr. A. G. Oehlenschläger Aladdin ii. 50 I've no skill in chaffering... Say, at a word, how much you'll let me have, And I will trust you for your honest looks. (b) at one word: of one mind, in agreement. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > statement > agreement, concurrence, or unanimity > [adverb] with (also of) one mouthOE with (also of, at) one accordc1275 common assentc1300 at onec1320 with one stevenc1320 at a voicea1325 at one wordc1325 covinlichec1330 in one (also o) voicea1393 with one (also o, a) voice?a1400 in one vote1546 of all hands1548 perlassent1548 una voce1567 by common consent1574 consentively1578 concordably1579 currently1593 unanimately1599 by or with one assent1611 unanimously1611 unanimely1625 consentingly1660 harmoniously1671 univocally1671 consentaneously1817 concurringly1840 solidly1865 solid1884 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 6812 Boþe hii were at one worde to libbe in clene liue, So þat hii were wiþoute eir. 1982 L. Ó Murchú Little Trom & Little Éadrom xix. 76 Even those of my relatives whom Providence has least endowed with the gift of enthusiasm..are at one word with me on this. (c) at words: engaged in verbal altercation, quarrelling. Chiefly in to be at words, to fall at words. Obsolete (archaic in later use). ΚΠ 1462 R. Calle in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 372 Your brother and Debenham were at wordes. 1526 C. Mery Talys f. viii The other agayn said he shuld not, & he agayn said he wold bryng them ouer spyte of his teth & so fell at wordys. 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Altercor Cum patre altercasti dudum, thou wast at words. 1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 190 These Turkish workmen and labourers fell at wordes among themselues, and from wordes to fayned blowes. 1680 N. Lee Cæsar Borgia ii. i. 23 Being in her Bath, And by her Women told we were at words, She ran in haste half naked to the Pope. 1841 J. S. Knowles Old Maids i. ii. 10 How's this?—at words? Thy brother John has been reproving thee, And thou resistest him. ?1850 H. T. Craven Blechington House i. ii. 9 What, friends at words? How's this? Avoid, I pray, The evil omen of a bridal feud. (d) to take a person at his (also her) word: (a) to accept the literal or apparent meaning of what has been said or stated, esp. as a basis for subsequent action; †(b) to agree to what has been proposed (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > accept as true, believe [verb (transitive)] ylevec888 leve971 ween971 i-weneOE takec1175 trowc1175 truth?c1250 thinka1275 believec1300 trustc1325 hold1340 trist1340 to give (one's) faith to (also unto)c1405 accept?c1430 admitc1449 credencea1529 to take a person at his (also her) word1535 credit1547 faith1576 to take a person's word1576 receive1581 creed1596 understand1751 Adam and Eve1925 buy1926 the mind > language > statement > assent > [verb (intransitive)] ensentc1290 accordc1300 to say yesa1400 senta1400 to say yeac1425 condescend1477 subscribe1531 accede1534 to take a person at his (also her) word1535 homologatea1649 to close with1654 to set one's seal1659 yes1820 yea-say1876 1535 Bible (Coverdale) 1 Kings xx. 33 He sayde: yf he be yet alyue, he is my brother. And the men toke him shortly at his worde,..and sayde: Yee Benadab is thy brother. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) i. ii. 17 Ant. Get thee away. Dro. Many a man would take you at your word, And goe indeede. View more context for this quotation 1672 J. Dryden Conquest Granada i. ii. i. 15 Old as I am I take thee at thy word, And will tomorrow thank thee with my sword. 1727 Coll. Epigr. cdlxii Take the soft sorrower at her word, and try How deeply rooted woman's vows can lie. 1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews (ed. 2) II. iii. xii. 161 One of the Servants whispered Joseph to take him at his Word, and suffer the old Put to walk if he would. 1800 W. Wordsworth Idle Shepherd-boys in W. Wordsworth & S. T. Coleridge Lyrical Ballads II. 72 James proudly took him at his word, But did not like the feat. 1884 Manch. Examiner 12 May 4/7 Our contemporaries must not be offended if we decline to take them quite at their word. 1907 G. B. Shaw Major Barbara Pref. in John Bull's Other Island 171 Those who pester our police superintendents with confessions of murder might very wisely be taken at their word and executed. 1939 D. Thomas Let. c8 Jan. (1987) 351 As you said it wasn't a call of life & death, we took you at your word and didn't worry. 2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 9 Mar. b3/3 Skilled at not taking patients at their word, Ben inquires further. c. beyond words: (in predicative use) incapable of being expressed in language, unutterable, unspeakable; (as adv.) unutterably, unspeakably. ΚΠ 1650 E. Leigh Annot. New Test. 218 Such love, such goodnesse are beyond words. 1686 G. Whitehead Piety promoted by Faithfulness 109 Altho her Body be removed from us; her memory lives in that which is beyond words. 1769 F. Brooke Hist. Emily Montague II. cxi. 173 You and your lovely friend obliged me beyond words, my dear Bell, by your visit of yesterday. 1851 M. Howitt Heir of Wast-Wayland iv. 62 My amazement and indignation at this announcement were beyond words! 1875 Contemp. Rev. 25 800 The style of architecture..is beyond words monotonous, idealess, soulless. 1905 E. Glyn Vicissitudes Evangeline 277 Her tact is beyond words. 1951 S. Sitwell in Sunday Times 22 Apr. 4/6 Mateus is delicious beyond words. 2007 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 10 June x. 18 I know he needs it now, and I am relieved beyond words that it will be happening. d. too —— for words: —— to such an extent as to render a person speechless, or to defy description or expression in words; (later, in colloquial hyperbolical use) extremely ——, utterly ——. ΚΠ a1628 F. Greville Alaham ii. ii, in Certaine Wks. (1633) sig. G2^v Monstrous, incredible, too great for words. ?1655 R. Baron Mirza iv. 111 Too great for words is my vast misery: Small Griefes make men lament, Great stupify. 1725 E. F. Haywood Rash Resolve i. 57 What that Lady felt at so unexpected, so shocking a Relation, was too big for Words! 1815 J. Cottle Messiah xxviii. 489 O'er David's heart angelic rapture steals! Too vast for words, the weight of bliss, he feels! 1859 J. Cross Year in Europe xxxii. 431 The waters of Como, too beautiful for words; and the neighboring Lugano, locked in the embrace of ‘the everlasting hills’. 1891 ‘L. Malet’ Wages of Sin II. v. i. 165 Some of the little silk shifties and night-i-gowns were simply too trottie for words. 1913 Dress & Vanity Fair Nov. 65 New York is beginning to look too smart and clean for words. 1928 E. O'Neill Strange Interlude viii. 289 But for Gordon to..propose marriage—it's too idiotic for words! 1982 A. Maupin Further Tales of City 47 Mary Ann, you were too yummy for words. I watched you on the monitor. 2005 Daily Tel. 12 July 21/3 All this may strike you as too hippy-ish and precious for words. e. (a) in a word (also in one word, †with a word): in a simple or short (esp. comprehensive) statement or phrase; briefly, concisely, in short.Now only introductory or parenthetical. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > [adverb] > in short at a (also one) wordOE at few wordsOE shortly1303 in short wordsc1380 oncec1384 in short and plainc1386 in sum?a1425 at short wordsa1450 at short1513 briefly?1521 in a word1522 in one word1522 with a word1522 summa1535 to be short1544 in (the) fine1545 in few1550 summarily1567 in a sum1574 in shorta1577 in brief1609 briefa1616 in a little1623 tout court1747 sans phrase1808 in a nutshell1822 in nuce1854 1522 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1884) V. 160 As much yren stone to be deliveride in one word callid Freretaile. 1573 T. Cartwright Replye to Answere Whitgifte 29 Moses assembled the people, and..in a worde, sate as it were, moderatour in that election. 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 259 Then did wee two set on you foure, and with a worde, outfac't you from your prize. View more context for this quotation 1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence Andria i. i, in Terence in Eng. 9 Tell me in a word what ist you would with me? a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. iv. 69 His yeares but yong, but his experience old; His head vn-mellowed, but his Iudgement ripe; And in a word..He is compleat in feature, and in minde. View more context for this quotation 1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. ii. xiv. sig. Q6 To return to my former Studies, and Recreations, and Dyet; and in a word, to my wonted course of Life. 1704 J. Norris Ess. Ideal World II. xii. 496 If you will have in one word a just distribution of each, it is this, that the Idea we see in God, but the sentiment we feel in ourselves. 1780 A. Young Tour Ireland i. 342 I..received assurance after assurance that she would be ready on such a day, and then on another; in a word, I waited twenty-four days before I sailed. 1842 F. Marryat Percival Keene II. ii. 200 I wish you to change your name, and, in one word, I wish Captain Delmar should believe that you are dead. 1892 B. F. Westcott Gospel of Life 13 Man in a word is dependant on that which lies outside himself. 1928 W. A. Pickard-Cambridge tr. Aristotle Topica i. v. 102^a In a word we may call ‘definitory’ everything that falls under the same branch of inquiry as definitions. 1961 E. Heimann Reason & Faith Mod. Society ii. 48 So as to eliminate antagonism, deepen friendly relations all around, and, in one word, make the national interest almost coincident with a moral interest. 2003 H. S. Thompson Kingdom of Fear iii. 330 My weird neighbour..has about 4 percent fat on his body—extremely lean meat, in a word, and more & more likely to activate the body-screecher at any self-respecting International Airport. (b) in so many words [after classical Latin totidem verbīs totidem verbis adv.; compare so adv. and conj. 37d] : in precisely that number of words; in those very words (now frequently in negative contexts); (later also) in words which fully convey the specified meaning or purport; plainly, expressly; = in terms (see term n. Phrases 1a).In quot. 1670: †word for word (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in so many words in so many words1580 1580 W. Fulke T. Stapleton & Martiall Confuted v. 178 As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation, but the same must be founde in so many wordes, in scripture, doctor, or councell. 1603 G. Downame Treat. conc. Antichrist ii. xiv. 142 That Antichrist shall openly and in so many words expresly affirme that he is the Christ or Messias of the world. 1670 W. Walker Idiomatologia Anglo-Latina 23 I rendred it even almost in so many words..totidem fere verbis interpretatus sum. 1684 J. Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress 2nd Pt. 17 She told me in so many words, The bitter goes before the sweet . View more context for this quotation 1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 249 William told us in so many Words, that it was impossible. 1739 P. Doddridge Family Expositor I. xxix. 177 He plainly and directly tells her in so many words, I that am now speaking to thee, am He. 1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 2nd Ser. 69 That the Lord Mayor had threatened in so many words to pull down the old London-bridge, and build up a new one. 1876 W. Marston Hard Struggle 22 Lilian. And did he ask you to Roxbury, dear father? Trevor. Why, not in so many words. 1881 W. Collins Black Robe I. 194 That the object was to bring Romayne and Stella together..was as plain to him as if he had heard it confessed in so many words. 1923 P. G. Wodehouse Let. 25 Dec. in Yours, Plum (1990) i. 32 Of course they haven't accepted it in so many words, but they read the scenario and said it was just what they wanted and agreed to the price, so it is all OK. 1935 Punch 19 June 722/1 If Perry puts a forehand drive into the far corner, right or left, the commentator has to say so in so many words. 1966 K. Williams Diary 6 Apr. (1993) 276 I said ‘It's me you're really getting at, isn't it?’ and he said yes. In so many words he did. 2000 P. H. Wender ADHD v. 95 He should not be allowed to say, either in so many words or indirectly, ‘I'm ADHD—I'm..not responsible for what I do.’ f. of one's word: (postmodifying man, woman, etc.) that keeps one's promises. Similarly †to be master to his word. ΚΠ 1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Xiiij The people of Crete are lyars,..yet Epimenides may be excepted, & be a true man of his worde, notwithstandyng. 1555 H. Braham Inst. Gentleman sig. Eiij^v The seconde..poynte in a Gentleman..is promes kepyng, as to bee Mayster to hys woorde. 1583 Answeare Def. Censure Charkes Bk. f. 30 Such a commoditie, to bringe thee out of Purgatorie: (For I am sure the Pope is a manne of his woorde) and thou needest not to feare but it is true. 1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore i. sig. H4^v My worthy Lieutenant Bots; why, now I see th'art a man of thy word. 1692 T. Southerne Wives Excuse iii. 31 She's a Woman of her word: You see she has brought Mrs. Sightly along with her. 1792 T. Holcroft Anna St. Ives VII. cxviii. 222 The purpose of this, it appears, was to make him believe the keeper a man of his word. 1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. vii. 122 Hereward is a man of his word, and pays his soldiers' wages royally. 1892 Scribner's Mag. Oct. 451/1 He was known to be a lad of his word for good or evil. 1949 V. Bell Sel. Lett. (1993) 519 I said I'd write to you from Lucca and as you know I'm a woman of my word. 2003 N.Y. Times 11 May 28/1 Mr. Grassley is known as a man of his word. g. (a) on (also †in, †under) the word of ——: as guaranteed, undertaken, or assured by (a person of the specified status, as being considered to be of particular authority or trustworthiness). Now rare (archaic in later use). ΚΠ 1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) ii. i. 22 That the symple parole or worde of a prynce ought to be more stable than the oth of a marchaunt.] 1483 Promisse of Matrimonie The said moost mighty prynces of Fraunce and England in the worde of a prince and on their feythes haue promysed & either of theim hath promised & bounden hym self to thaperfyting therof. c1503 R. Arnold Chron. f. Cxvij/1 My lorde of winchester..subscribid w^t his hand vndir the worde of presthode to stond at the aduyse ordinaunce and arbitrement of y^e parsons abouesayd. 1526 Reg. Privy Seal Scot. I. 527/2 Our soverane lord promittis fathfullye and on the word of ane kyng, that [etc.]. ?1560 T. Norton Orations of Arsanes sig. B.ij Peace & faithful promis of safty giuen in the word of a prince. 1600 F. Hastings Apol. or Def. Watch-word 131 He sweareth purely of his owne voluntarie accord, and absolutelie in the word of a Bishop. 1624 King James VI & I in Jrnls. House of Lords (1771) III. 251/1 I promise you, in the Word of a King, that although War and Peace be the peculiar Prerogatives of Kings, yet..I will not treat nor accept of a Peace without first acquainting you with it, and hearing your Advice. 1693 Remarks Present Confederacy, & Late Revol. Eng. 39 He assures us in the Word of a True Protestant Dutchman, he has the same Religion to defend. 1734 G. Stubbes Dial. Superiority Pleasures of Understanding 124 I engage, on the Word of a Favourite, to..prevent..the Danger of his tasting any forbidden Pleasures of this sort. 1796 G. Colman Iron Chest Pref. p. i No—on the word of an honest man, I have bestowed no small pains upon this Iron Chest, which I offer you. 1868 W. Collins Moonstone I. i. xv. 255 I humoured her. Three and sixpence. On the word of an honest woman, three and sixpence, Mr. Cuff! 1884 H. C. Merivale Florien ii. 44 Ha, ha, ha! Now on the word of a freelance and a true soldier, this is the rarest fellow ever born to smell powder! 1929 G. Atherton Dido 343 If..naught but your presence will turn rout into victory, I will send you forth... That I promise you on the word of a Queen. (b) on (also upon) one's word (formerly also †of one's word). (i) In construction with a verb, in sense A. 7a or A. 7b: on the security of, or as bound by, one's promise or affirmation. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [adverb] under oatha1325 on (also upon) one's faithc1405 faithfullyc1450 on (also upon) one's word1582 sacramentally1599 votally1614 promissorily1650 engagingly1651 obligingly1655 votively1857 1582Vpon his word [see sense A. 7b]. a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) iii. xvii. f. 314 Know thy selfe a man, and shew thy selfe a man: and (beleeue me vpon my word) a woman is a woman. 1600 E. Blount tr. G. F. di Conestaggio Hist. Uniting Portugall to Castill 206 If he woulde assure him vpon his word, he would go to the campe. 1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster North-ward Hoe ii. sig. C2^v Doll... Tis but poore fifty pound. Allo. If that bee all, you shall vpon your worde take vp so much with me. 1671 T. Shadwell Humorists v. 70 Madam, upon my word I will not rob you of your Jewel, I freely resign him to you. 1785 R. Cumberland Observer No. 96. §2 [I] took the rascal upon his word without a character. 1824 E. Fitzball Floating Beacon ii. i. 22 The Captain..assured me upon his word, that no one had entered his vessel..for many a long year. 1868 Times 7 Dec. 5/4 Mr. Hains expects us to believe him on his word. 1926 M. West Sex in Three Plays (1997) 52 I'll think it over, old dear. I promise you I will, on my word. 1961 L. Lewis Connoisseurs & Secret Agents 18th Cent. Rome iv. 108 Corsini assured Fane upon his word that nothing of that sort would happen. 1970 Harper's Mag. Apr. 113/1 What the reader must assume..or take on my word, is that Mr. Auden's talk is not merely rich but diamantiferous. 2001 H. Gladfelder Criminality & Narr. 18th-Cent. Eng. 219 Only the outlaw Captain Raymond and the unjustly imprisoned Brightwel..believe him on his word. (ii) Now chiefly as upon my word (also 'pon my word: see pon prep.). As an asseveration: assuredly, certainly, truly, indeed. In later use also as a simple exclamation of surprise or strong emotion. Now somewhat archaic. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > malediction > oaths > [interjection] > oaths other than religious or obscene > with reference to one's word or honour by (formerly also for, on, upon) my trothc1225 aplight1297 on (also upon) one's honourc1475 upon my word1591 honour bright1778 the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > making certain, assurance > of course, certainly [phrase] to iwissea1000 mid iwissea1000 in wisc1000 to wis(se)c1000 without(en (any) weenc1175 sans fail1297 thereof no strife1297 but werea1300 forouten werea1300 out of werea1300 without werea1300 without deceit1303 for certainc1320 it is to wittingc1320 withouten carec1320 without nayc1330 without noc1330 without (but out of) dread1340 no doubtc1380 without distancec1390 no fresea1400 out of doubta1400 without doubta1400 for, (in, at obs.), of, to (a) certaintyc1400 withouten stance14.. hazel woods shakea1413 of, on, in warrantisec1440 sure enough?1440 without question?1440 wythout diswerec1440 without any dispayrec1470 for (also of) a surety?a1475 in (also for) surenessa1475 of certainc1485 without any (also all) naya1500 out of question?1526 past question?1526 for sure1534 what else1540 beyond (also out of, past, without) (all) peradventure1542 to be a bidden by1549 out of (also without) all cry1565 with a witness1579 upon my word1591 no question1594 out of all suspicion1600 for a certain1608 without scruple1612 to be sure1615 that's pos1710 in course1722 beyond (all) question1817 (and) no mistake1818 no two ways about it (also that)1818 of course1823 bien entendu1844 yessiree1846 you bet you1857 make no mistake1876 acourse1883 sans doute1890 how are you?1918 you bet your bippy1968 1591 J. Lyly Endimion iii. iii. sig. E3 Of my word, she is both crabbish, lumpish, and carping. 1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. i. 1 Gregorie, of my word [1599 on my word; 1623 A my word] Ile carrie no coales. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. ii. 53 He will seeke there on my word . View more context for this quotation 1643 Declar. Commons conc. Rebellion in Ireland 52 Upon my word your Lordship is little beholding to him. 1646 in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 308 But of my word she will not meet with the like proffer again. 1682 N. O. tr. N. Boileau-Despréaux Lutrin ii. 182 Yet, on my word the Knave had wit in's Anger. 1707 G. Farquhar Beaux Stratagem v. 64 Let me see your Arm..O me! an ugly Gash upon my Word. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xxxvii. 267 Well but, my dear, you seem to have a long parcel of writing before you: One, two, three, four—Eight leaves—Upon my word!—But Mr. Reeves told me you are a writer. 1767 A. Campbell Lexiphanes 131 On my word, he stands as much in need of it, as Lexiphanes himself. 1836 C. Dickens Village Coquettes i. iii. 35 Squire. (rising.) Flam here! Flam. (aside.) Upon my word!—I thought we had been getting on pretty well in the open air, but they're beating us hollow here, under cover. 1864 A. Trollope Small House at Allington I. xxviii. 287 Butterwell would..say that, upon his word, he didn't think the world so bad as Fiasco made it out to be. 1879 G. Meredith Egoist II. i. 7 I seem to be instructed in one of the mysteries of erotic esotery, yet on my word I am no wiser. 1914 ‘Bartimeus’ Naval Occasions xxiv. 244 Have you any rich aunts, Guns? 'Pon my word, I might get off this afternoon. 1951 C. Hare Eng. Murder ix. 99 Upon my word, sir,..you seem to be taking a good deal upon yourself. 1977 J. P. Donleavy Destinies Darcy Dancer xviii. 262 Upon my word. How irredeemably wretched. 2003 Irish Times (Nexis) 19 Apr. 42 The batsman..sends it to the outfield where, oh, upon my word, a Georgian lady..scoops her hand down and catches in her hand a ball which never existed. P2. With another noun. a. word by word: (a) = word for word adv. (formerly also †fro word unto word, †word after word, †word in word); (b) spec. (in alphabetization) taking each word in turn (opposed to letter by letter: see letter n.¹ Phrases 2). Also attributive (with hyphens). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > [noun] > arrangement in alphabetical order > specific word by wordeOE the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > [adjective] > in alphabetical order > specific word by wordeOE the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > word-for-word word by wordeOE word for word?1611 verbatim1834 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > word for word fro word unto wordeOE word after wordeOE word by wordeOE word in wordeOE word for wordc1400 after the worda1450 verbatim?1503 verbatimly1587 verbally1588 verbatim et literatim1642 syllabically1654 totidem verbis1659 the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > translation > [adverb] > word for word fro word unto wordeOE word by wordeOE word for wordc1400 verbatim1563 metaphrastically1577 literally1591 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) Pref. 7 Ða ongan ic..ða boc wendan on Englisc ðe is genemned on Læden Pastoralis.., hwilum word be worde, hwilum andgit of andgiete. lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) Proem 1 Hwilum he sette word be worde, hwilum andgit of andgite. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 17 (MED) Ich wille..segge ou þe crede word after word. 1379 MS Gloucester Cathedral 19 No. 1. i. iii. lf. 7 All that I have sayde yn this chapitre Isaac techith word by word. c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 144 The now late named psalmes..ben ouer long to be rehercid word bi word here. 1493 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 308/2 Þe bill of Complaint..of þe quhilk þe tenour folowis word in word. a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 3187 (MED) Geffray the letters After breke and rayd, For [perh. read Fro] wurde unto wurd. 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry IV Introd. f. ii^v Then turnyng hymself to his accuser, [he] declared worde by worde what he had said. 1575 (title) A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered word by word out of his preaching. 1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. x. 151 You are to dictate, or deliuer vnto them word by word, the English of the sentence. 1680 J. Dryden in J. Dryden et al. tr. Ovid Epist. Pref. sig. A8 Metaphrase, or turning an Author word by word, and Line by Line, from one Language into another. 1718 J. Dart Complaint Black Knight 33 I took my Pen with hasty speed to write His sad Complaint, and fix it to Record Near as I could remember Word by Word. 1779 S. Johnson Dryden in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets III. 193 Ben Jonson thought it necessary to copy Horace almost word by word. 1865 J. Ruskin Sesame & Lilies i. 52 The kind of word-by-word examination of your author which is rightly called ‘reading’. 1938 L. M. Harrod Librarians' Gloss. 12 There are two methods [of alphabetization] in use: 1, ‘letter by letter’; 2, ‘word by word’, or ‘nothing before something’. In the former method ‘Newton’ precedes, in the latter it follows, ‘New York’. 1979 Amer. Speech 1976 51 149 This dictionary uses word-by-word rather than letter-by-letter alphabetizing. 2004 Hist. in Afr. 31 484 Le Rwanda ancien was not translated word by word, but sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph. b. a word and a blow: a brief utterance of anger or defiance, followed immediately by the delivery of a blow, as the beginning of a fight; frequently in extended use with reference to (a tendency to) prompt, sudden, or impulsive (esp. aggressive) action. Sometimes in predicative use, esp. of a person; also attributive, as word-and-a-blow man, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > rapidity or speed of action or operation > with rapid action [phrase] > quickly or promptly > referring to prompt or sudden action a word and a blow1563 society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [noun] > a fight > sudden a word and a blow1563 the world > action or operation > manner of action > rapidity or speed of action or operation > [noun] > haste > sudden > one who a word and a blow1563 1563 R. Reynolds Foundacion of Rhetorike f. xiii This kyng Richard was..of minde vnquiet, pregnaunt of witte, quicke and liuely, a worde and a blowe, wilie, deceiptfull, proude, arrogant in life and cogitacion bloodie. 1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. K2 There entred such a hotspurd plague as hath not been heard of: why it was but a word and a blow, Lord haue mercie vpon vs, and he was gone. 1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. i. 37 Tyb: Gentlemen a word with one of you. Mer: But one word with one of vs? You had best couple it with somewhat, and make it a word and a blow . View more context for this quotation 1639 J. Clarke Paroemiologia 178 He's but a word and a blowe. 1714 S. Centlivre Wonder v. 77 A Pox take his Fists.—Egad, these Brittons are but a Word and a Blow. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison IV. xxvi. 188 My cousins are grieved [at my going so soon]: They did not expect that I would be a word and a blow, as they phrase it. 1821 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto III xlviii. 27 With him it never was a word and blow, His angry word once o'er, he shed no blood. 1840 F. Trollope Michael Armstrong iv. 92 Mr. Joseph Parsons had a Napoleon-like promptitude of action, which the unlearned operatives described by calling him ‘a word-and-a-blow man’. 1847 G. F. Ruxton Adventures Mexico & Rocky Mts. xxvii. 242 Firm friends and bitter enemies, with them it is ‘a word and a blow’. 1929 Times 24 Jan. 14/3 His business life was spent as a merchant at Blackwall, beginning at a time when a word and a blow were the order of the day. 1931 D. L. Sayers Five Red Herrings vi. 61 Jock Graham—a harum-scarum, word-and-a-blow fellow if ever there was one. Clever, too. 1978 G. A. Craig Germany 1866–1945 v. 156 His [sc. Bismarck's] relations with the Catholics were always at a word and a blow. c. colloquial. a word in a person's ear: a brief confidential comment or observation. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > message > [noun] errandc890 bodec1275 bodeworda1325 messagec1325 sendingc1400 credence1424 a word in a person's ear1566 credency1620 intermessage1691 telegram1852 memorandum1899 1566 L. Wager Life & Repentaunce Marie Magdalene sig. E.iii I pray you let me haue a worde in your eare. 1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing iv. ii. 27 Come you hither sirra, a word in your eare sir. View more context for this quotation 1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 457 (1713) VI. 343 Every one of my Customers will be very well pleased with me, when he considers that every Piece of News I send him is a Word in his Ear, and lets him into a Secret. 1770 R. Cumberland Brothers ii. iii. 17 Mr. Paterson! hist, Mr. Paterson! a word in your ear, sweet Sir. 1838 C. Dickens Let. 25 Jan. (1965) I. 360 A word in your ear. Macready objected to Talfourd's play. 1921 J. Buchan Path of King iv. 84 And a word in your ear, my lord. The Ilkhan permits few to cross his eastern marches. 1950 Times 22 Sept. 6/6 But here a word in your ear: the reconstructed stage of La Scala has many more trapdoors than has our old opera house. 2000 S. McKay Northern Protestants 360 He got a council house for his family in the new White City estate in Dungannon, after a word in the ear of a Unionist councillor. d. word of command n. a word or short phrase uttered to a body of soldiers, a draught animal, etc., as an order for some particular movement or action. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military organization > orders > [noun] > word of command word of command1611 society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > a command > word of word of command1611 1611 in Lawes Colony Virginea Britannia (1612) 87 He shal be carefull to obserue al words of command, postures and actions, according to the order of training published by the marshall. 1684 R. Howlett School Recreat. 45 Keep..your Musket hard against your Shoulder after you have fired, till the next Word of Command. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vii. 135 I have seen this whole Body of Horse upon a Word of Command draw their Swords at once. 1796 W. Moss Liverpool Guide 38 The Carters..can make them [sc. their horses] go to the right or the left, backward or forward by the word of command, with as much precision as a regiment of soldiers. 1853 J. H. Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 66/1 The orders..for certain motions, manœuvres, or evolutions, are called the ‘word of command’. 1939 F. Thompson Lark Rise vii. 141 His bear..shouldered the pole and did exercises at his word of command. 1950 L. G. Green In Land of Afternoon ix. 132 One expert driver..encourages his mules by yelling the principal parts of Greek verbs... The word of command ‘Proot!’..is more commonly heard. 1991 T. Mo Redundancy of Courage (1992) xii. 129 Our guys opened up simultaneously without a word of command, banging away freely with their g3s. e. word of honour n. an affirmation or promise by which one pledges one's honour or good faith; a solemn promise or assurance. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > agreement > promise > [noun] > pledge or assurance wordOE costOE earnest1221 fayc1300 certainty1303 wager1306 plighta1325 pledge1371 assurancec1386 undertaking?a1400 faithc1405 surementc1410 to make affiancec1425 earnest pennya1438 warrant1460 trow1515 fidelity1531 stipulation1552 warranty1555 pawn1573 arrha1574 avouchment1574 assumption1590 word of honour1598 avouch1603 assecurance1616 preassurance1635 tower-stamp1642 parole of honour1648 spondence1657 honour1659 1598 H. Roberts Honours Conquest sig. Q4^v Y^e knight commanded them to cease their crueltie, promising on his word of honour, that no man should doo him wrong, but hee would protect him. 1645 W. Prynne Hidden Workes Darkenes 24 Concerning the security against the Divorce, they are to relye on the Kings and Princes word of honour. 1745 D. Hume Let. 27 Nov. (1932) I. 77 He gave Mr Vincent his Word of Honour before me that till within a few days, he did not so much as know I was of the same Opinion with himself. 1770 J. Otis in W. Tudor Life J. Otis (1823) 476 My humble North American word of honour for it, my lord, these volumes will hurt neither thee, nor thy master. 1814 D. H. O'Brien Narr. Captiv. & Escape 65 They suspected we were deserters... We assured them upon our word of honour, they were very much mistaken. 1896 E. Thompson in Monthly Packet Christmas No. 97 He had passed his word of honour..that he would report himself at the fort. 1946 E. O'Neill Iceman Cometh i. 48 I give you my word of honor as an officer and a gentleman, you shall be paid tomorrow. 2002 H. V. Bowen in S. Akita Gentlemanly Capitalism, Imperialism & Global Hist. ii. 41 The form taken by such arrangements was entirely based upon a gentleman's social standing and his word of honour. f. a word to the wise: see wise adj. 6c. P3. With modifying adjective or determiner. a. of few words: not given to lengthy speaking, or to much speech; taciturn; laconic. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > taciturnity or reticence > [adjective] unspeakinga1382 speechless1390 mutec1400 dumb1406 silenta1425 peaceablec1425 secretc1440 of few wordsa1500 tongue-tied1529 mum1532 closec1540 strait-laced1546 tongue-dumb1556 incommunicable1568 sparing1568 inconversable1577 retentive1599 wordless1604 mumbudget1622 uncommunicable1628 monastica1631 word-bound1644 on (also upon) the reserve1655 strait-mouthed1664 oyster-like1665 incommunicative1670 mumchance1681 speechless1726 taciturnous1727 tongue-tacked1727 monosyllabic1735 silentish1737 untalkative1739 silentious1749 buttoned-up1767 taciturn1771 close as wax1772 untittletattling1779 reticent1825 voiceless1827 say-nothing1838 unremonstrant1841 still1855 unvocal1858 inexpansive186. short-tongued1864 non-communicating1865 tight-lipped1876 unworded1886 chup1896 tongue-bound1906 shut-mouthed1936 zip-lipped1943 shtum1958 a1500 (c1425) Andrew of Wyntoun Oryg. Cron. Scotl. (Nero) v. 3541 Off wordis fewe [a1500 Wemyss off few wordis] and mylde of mude. a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 175 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 100 Off fewe wordis full wyss and worthy yai war. 1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer i. sig. E.iij Of few wordes, and no bragger. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iii. ii. 38 That men of few Words are the best men. View more context for this quotation 1697 London Gaz. No. 3260/4 Well set and middle sized, and of few Words. 1759 W. H. Dilworth Life of Pope 120 [Gay] had always been a man of but few words. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxiv. 252 Mr. Dubbley, who was a man of few words, nodded assent. 1880 Jrnl. Amer. Geogr. Soc. N.Y. 12 165 The people [sc. of Iceland] are represented as of few words, but truthful. 1956 Biogr. Mem. Fellows Royal Soc. 2 123 Fleming was a man of few words—and ideas did not greatly interest him. 2000 J. Brannen et al. Connecting Children ii. 35 Barry, a white boy of few words who lived in a step family, simply said: ‘It's bad for the kids.’ b. half a word: a very short utterance, a slight fragment of speech or conversation. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > [noun] > that which is or can be spoken > short a wordc1405 half a word1562 a couple of words1589 a few well-chosen words1854 1562 A. Brooke tr. M. Bandello Tragicall Hist. Romeus & Iuliet 63 The simple mother was, rapt in to great delight, Not halfe a word could she bring forth. a1566 R. Edwards Damon & Pithias (1571) sig. B ii Of halfe a worde, he can make a Legend of lies. 1657 H. Oldenburg Let. 12 Sept. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) I. 239 I beseech you, Sir, to favor me with acquainting me with the progresse of this busines... Half a word, or a word used per antiphrasin..will be enough. 1700 T. Brown Amusem. Serious & Comical iii. 19 Taking it for granted, that we two understand one another by half a Word. 1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Family II. 222 Henry..was, moreover, of so violent and inflammable a temper, that half a word was sufficient..to set his blood boiling. 1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. vi. 48 Might I have half a word with you? 1917 Jrnl. Philos., Psychol. & Sci. Methods 14 347 I left my argument to the judgment of those for whom half a word is more than enough. 1999 Wisconsin State Jrnl. (Nexis) 17 June One has to be very careful with what one says. If it's about interest rates, I can mutter half a word and it's on every wire service. c. (a) last words: the final utterance of a person before death. Seven Last Words: the seven utterances of Christ on the cross (also Seven Words).famous last words: see famous adj. 1c. [The tradition of the collection of the Seven Last Words dates back to at least the 12th cent.: compare post-classical Latin de septem verbis (c1156 in a work title). The sayings have also been the subject of a number of musical compositions, e.g. Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (?1645) by Heinrich Schütz, and Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze (1787) by Joseph Haydn.] ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > [noun] > death throes > final words during last wordsc1426 the world > life > death > [noun] > death throes > final words during > of Christ Seven Last Wordsc1426 c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 58 O Ihesu Crist hongyng on cros, Vij wordis þou saydest with myld voys Vnto þe Fader of heuen. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 432/1 He comyng to the last houre,..and profferyng the laste wordes I commend my sowle in to thyn handes deyed. 1521 R. Copland tr. St. Edmund Rich Myrrour of Chyrche f. 27 Ye shall here thynke on y^e vii. wordes y^t he spake on y^e crosse. 1534 W. Marshall tr. Erasmus Playne & Godly Expos. Commune Crede vi. f. 141 With his laste wordes praying for them by whome he was put on the crosse. 1596 in Spalding Club Misc. I. 88 James Low..said, in his last wordis, befoir he gef wp his braitht [etc.]. 1602 C. Sutton Disce Vivere xxvii. 492 Let vs hear him..in his seauen last wordes vttered vpon the Crosse. 1692 H. Harrison (title) The Last Words of a Dying Penitent. ?1723 T. Cibber Henry VI ii. 14 To prove this true, read the last Words of Mortimer, Who dy'd in Prison in your Minor Days. 1781 H. Croft Young in S. Johnson Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets X. 84 In the third Letter is described the death-bed of the gay, young, noble,..and most wretched Altamont. His last words were—[etc.]. 1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. III. 179 He..read over..the ‘last words’ of his adored Fanny, till the blood thrilled in his veins. 1870 tr. Bellarmino (title) The Seven Words from the Cross [L. de septem verbis a Christo in cruce prolatis]. 1874 E. King (title) Meditations on the last seven words of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1933 ‘L. G. Gibbon’ Cloud Howe i. 43 His last words were, so the story went, ‘And what might the feare's prices be to-day?’ 1955 O. Fals-Borda Peasant Society Columbian Andes xiv. 218 On Good Friday, after the traditional Sermon of the Seven Last Words, there is an elaborate procession. 2007 Daily Tel. 1 May 30/3 In November, 1916, he was killed on the Somme where..his last words were, ‘Put that bloody cigarette out.’ (b) the last word. (i) The final statement, pronouncement, or decision in a dispute (esp. in to have the last word). Also more generally: the final utterance in a conversation. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > final utterance in a conversation the last word1509 conversation stopper1959 1509 tr. A. de la Sale Fyftene Ioyes of Maryage (de Worde) (new ed.) iii. sig. C.vij^v Alwaye with me the last worde [Fr. la derreniere parolle] shall remayne. 1541 Schole House of Women sig. A.ii^v These women be, so sensuall That by theyr reason, not worth a torde Yet wyll the woman, haue the last worde. 1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1416/2 My lorde of Lincolne..sayde that thou were a frantike felow, and a man that wyll haue the last worde. a1637 B. Jonson Tale of Tub i. i. 60 in Wks. (1640) III Hee will ha' the last word, though he talke Bilke for 't. View more context for this quotation 1673 J. Dryden Marriage a-la-Mode iv. iii. 60 The Boy's resolv'd to have the last word. 1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews II. iv. viii. 232 She had always the last Word every where but at Church. View more context for this quotation 1775 R. B. Sheridan St. Patrick's Day i. ii It is very unbecoming in you to want to have the last word with your Mamma. 1825 Gentleman's Mag. 45 i. 334 Though Mr. Bowles may affix the term ‘final’ to his Appeal, we have some doubt whether he will be permitted to have the last word. 1880 A. Trollope Duke's Children I. xxvi. 306 He was gifted with that peculiar power which enables a man to have the last word in every encounter. 1974 Times 5 Feb. 4/5 The last word went to Mr Walter McCrone, whose firm released the evidence..that the ink used on the map was not developed until after 1920. 2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 20 Aug. iv. 5/2 A district court decision could well have the last word. (ii) The final or conclusive statement, after which there is no more to be said; (in extended use) the ultimate form or expression of something, the finest, most advanced, or most fashionable specimen, the ‘latest thing’ (also the latest word). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > completing > [noun] > that which > concluding action, utterance, etc. > conclusive act, utterance, etc. clincher1737 settler1744 dernier mot1834 the last word1842 the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > end or conclusion > [noun] > the very end last end?c1225 the farc1540 the far endc1540 faga1627 the last word1842 the end of the road1954 endsville1962 the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > [noun] > final or definitive statement categorica1734 the last word1842 1842 Times 14 Mar. 4/4 The question upon which Lord Aberdeen was supposed to have said the last word (the retention of their conquests in Africa by the French) was re-opened on Thursday by M. Guizot. 1852 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 10 July 110/2 Hector Berlioz, by some regarded as the last word in musical composition. 1881 S. Colvin Pref. to Select. Landor's Writings (1882) 6 Concerning this part of Landor's work,..Mr. Swinburne has in those two felicitous lines said the last word. 1888 Daily News 21 Sept. 5/6 The long mantles that are the latest ‘word’ of Paris fashions. 1934 A. Huxley Beyond Mexique Bay 2 The last word in cocktail bars and peach-pink sanitary fittings. 1949 O. Renier tr. P. Geyl Napoleon ii. iii. 45 For a generation Thiers's was the last word on the subject, and his book overshadowed that of Lefebvre. 1989 P. Horowitz & W. Hill Art of Electronics (ed. 2) xiii. 904/1 GaAs FETs. The latest word in simple microwave amplifiers. 2004 Time Out 25 Aug. (Carnival Guide) 68/1 Simon Finch's rare books are the last word in coffee-tabletop cool. d. of many words: given to much speech, or to speaking at length (frequently in negative contexts: cf. of few words at Phrases 3a); †(of a statement, etc.) wordy, prolix (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > [adjective] wordyeOE talewisec1200 i-worded?c1225 babblinga1250 cacklinga1250 chatteringa1250 speakfula1250 word-wooda1250 of many wordsc1350 janglingc1374 tatteringc1380 tongueya1382 ganglinga1398 readya1400 jargaunt1412 talkative1432 open-moutheda1470 clattering1477 trattling?a1513 windy1513 popping1528 smatteringa1529 rattle?1529 communicablea1533 blab1552 gaggling1553 long-tongued?1553 prittle-prattle1556 pattering1558 talking1560 bobling1566 gabbling1566 verbal1572 piet1573 twattling1573 flibber gibber1575 babblative1576 tickle-tongued1577 tattling1581 buzzing1587 long-winded1589 multiloquous1591 discoursive1599 rattling1600 glib1602 flippant1605 talkful1605 nimble-tongued1608 tongue-ripe1610 fliperous1611 garrulous?1611 futile1612 overspeaking1612 feather-tongueda1618 tongue-free1617 long-breatheda1628 well-breathed1635 multiloquious1640 untongue-tied1640 unretentive1650 communicative1651 linguacious1651 glibbed1654 largiloquent1656 multiloquent1656 parlagea1657 loose-clacked1661 nimble-chop1662 twit-twat1665 over-talkativea1667 loquacious1667 loudmouth1668 conversable1673 gash1681 narrative1681 chappy1693 apposite1701 conversative1703 gabbit1710 lubricous1715 gabby?1719 ventose1721 taleful1726 chatty?1741 blethering1759 renable1781 fetch-fire1784 conversational1799 conversant1803 gashing1808 long-lunged1815 talky1815 multi-loquacious1819 prolegomenous1822 talky-talky1831 nimble-mouthed1836 slipper1842 speechful1842 gassy1843 in great force1849 yattering1859 babbly1860 irreticent1864 chattable1867 lubrical1867 chattery1869 loose-mouthed1872 chinny1883 tongue-wagging1885 yappy1909 big-mouthed1914 loose-lipped1919 ear-bashing1945 ear-bending1946 yackety-yacking1953 nattering1959 yacking1959 woofy1960 society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose wordyOE of many wordsc1350 windya1382 diffused?a1475 word-dearthing1593 verbosious1601 worded1602 wordish1604 diffuse1612 wording1615 diffusive1624 verbose1665 baggy1866 talky1937 waffling1945 c1350 How Good Wife taught her Daughter (Emmanuel) (1948) l. 42 Be noȝt of mani wordes. 1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1438/1 This diffinition is of many wordes to no purpose. 1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing i. i. 150 I thanke you, I am not of many wordes, but I thanke you. View more context for this quotation 1724 T. Salmon Char. Several Noblemen 111 He was not a Man of many Words. 1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility II. xii. 226 She was not a woman of many words . View more context for this quotation 1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross I. iii. 38 Augustus Barnington,..not being a man of many words, contented himself by stammering something about honour. 1903 Times 30 Sept. 9/5 He was not an orator or a man of many words, but he was genuinely affected by the consideration the Livery had extended to him that day. 2007 Calgary (Alberta) Sun (Nexis) 10 Oct. sp 3 Typically a man of many words, Craig Conroy only needed one to describe how he felt the last time his club played in Detroit. e. my word (esp. as an exclamation) = upon my word at Phrases 1g(b)(ii). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection] whatOE well, wellOE avoyc1300 ouc1300 ay1340 lorda1393 ahaa1400 hillaa1400 whannowc1450 wow1513 why?1520 heydaya1529 ah1538 ah me!a1547 fore me!a1547 o me!a1547 what the (also a) goodyear1570 precious coals1576 Lord have mercy (on us)1581 good heavens1588 whau1589 coads1590 ay me!1591 my stars!a1593 Gods me1595 law1598 Godso1600 to go out1600 coads-nigs1608 for mercy!a1616 good stars!1615 mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616 gramercy1617 goodness1623 what next?1662 mon Dieu1665 heugh1668 criminy1681 Lawd1696 the dickens1697 (God, etc.) bless my heart1704 alackaday1705 (for) mercy's sake!1707 my1707 deuce1710 gracious1712 goodly and gracious1713 my word1722 my stars and garters!1758 lawka1774 losha1779 Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784 great guns!1795 mein Gott1795 Dear me!1805 fancy1813 well, I'm sure!1815 massy1817 Dear, dear!1818 to get off1818 laws1824 Mamma mia1824 by crikey1826 wisha1826 alleleu1829 crackey1830 Madonna mia1830 indeed1834 to go on1835 snakes1839 Jerusalem1840 sapristi1840 oh my days1841 tear and ages1841 what (why, etc.) in time?1844 sakes alive!1846 gee willikers1847 to get away1847 well, to be sure!1847 gee1851 Great Scott1852 holy mackerel!1855 doggone1857 lawsy1868 my wig(s)!1871 gee whiz1872 crimes1874 yoicks1881 Christmas1882 hully gee1895 'ullo1895 my hat!1899 good (also great) grief!1900 strike me pink!1902 oo-er1909 what do you know?1909 cripes1910 coo1911 zowiec1913 can you tie that?1918 hot diggety1924 yeow1924 ziggety1924 stone (or stiffen) the crows1930 hullo1931 tiens1932 whammo1932 po po po1936 how about that?1939 hallo1942 brother1945 tie that!1948 surprise1953 wowee1963 yikes1971 never1974 to sod off1976 whee1978 mercy1986 yipes1989 the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > exclamation of wonder [interjection] ahaa1400 ocha1522 heydaya1529 ah1538 ah me!a1547 fore me!a1547 o me!a1547 gossea1556 ay me!1591 o (also oh) rare!1596 law1598 strangec1670 lack-a-day1695 stap my vitals1697 alackaday1705 prodigious1707 my word1722 (by) golly1743 gosh1757 Dear me!1805 Madre de Dios1815 Great Jove!1819 I snum1825 crikey1826 my eye1826 crackey1830 snakes1839 Great Scott1852 holy mackerel!1855 whoops1870 this beats my grandmother1883 wow1892 great balls of fire1893 oo-er1909 zowiec1913 crimes1929 yowa1943 wowee1963 Madre mia!1964 yikes1971 whee1978 chingas1984 1722 A. Philips Briton ii. iii. 14 He loves thee, Gwendolen:—My word, he does. 1821 London Mag. June 658/2 When the New Town Christeners had exhausted their Georges and Charlottes and Fredericks and Hanovers, (and, my word, they did extend the royalty). 1841 E. C. Gaskell Lett. (1966) 44 My word! authorship brings them in a pretty penny. 1857 F. Locker London Lyrics 72 Half London was there, and, my word, there were few..But envied Lord Nigel's felicity. 1874 A. Trollope Harry Heathcote ii. 49 ‘You dropped the match by accident?’ ‘My word, no. Did it o' purpose to see.’ 1932 P. Hamilton Siege of Pleasure ii. 62 in Twenty Thousand Streets under Sky (1935) ‘My word!’ said Violet. ‘You didn't half give me a turn.’ 1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 43 My word, how we did dress up in those days! 2004 G. Woodward I'll go to Bed at Noon xiii. 237 ‘That's an old Vincent,’ said Janus Brian, ‘my word. Haven't seen one of those for years’. f. in other words: in words which express the same idea differently; esp. as a parenthesis (= that is to say at say v.¹ and int. Phrases 2a). ΚΠ 1531 tr. E. Fox et al. Determinations Moste Famous Vniuersities iv. f. 71^v Whiche in other wordes is as moche to say that no persone..can haue forgyuenes of his synne by any maner of almes. 1622 F. Rous Dis. of Time ii. 23 To aske this question of that highest Wisedome, Hast thou made al men for nought? or in other words, Hast thou beene wise in making Man to no purpose? 1631 T. Heywood Fair Maid of West: 2nd Pt. i. sig. B2 A foolish proverbe we use in our countrey, which to give you in other words, is as much as to say, You have hit the naile on the head. 1709 G. Berkeley Ess. New Theory of Vision §157. 184 This Smoothness and Uniformity, or, in other Words, this Plainness of the Picture, is not perceiv'd immediately by Vision. 1789 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. xvi. p. ccxv By causing operations to be performed which ought not to be performed; in other words, by misdirecting them. 1847 A. Helps Friends in Council I. i. viii. 124 All this is what I have often heard you say yourself in other words. 1863 E. V. Neale Analogy Thought & Nature 205 We must conclude consciousness to belong to thought as thought. In other words thought is conscious of itself. 1903 Daily Chron. 10 Dec. 6/7 What is wanted is first a human clearing house, or, in other words, compulsory examination of all immigrants. 1989 B. Paris Louise Brooks ii. xv. 353 Louise's sexual abandon, in other words, was selective. 2006 N.Y. Times Mag. 5 Nov. 22/2 Bamboo has the vague aura of being green-friendly but not too crunchy—trendy, in other words. g. Ten Words: the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue. [Compare post-classical Latin verba decem, decem verba (Vulgate).] ΘΚΠ society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > Old Testament > [noun] > Mosaic dispensation > decalogue lawc1000 Ten WordsOE Ten Commandmentsc1280 the ten preceptsa1325 Decalogue1382 testimony1535 command1608 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xii. 114 Þa awrat se ælmihtiga god him twa stænene wexbredu mid his agenum fingre, on ðam wæron awritene tyn word, þæt sind tyn ælice beboda. a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Deut. iv. 13 The ten wordis [L. decem verba] that he wroot in the two stonen tablis. ?1549 J. Hooper Declar. 10 Commandm. i. sig. B iii^v What so ouer is sayde or wroten by the Prophetes Christ or the Aposteles it is none other thing but the interpretacion and exposition of these ten wordes or ten commaundementes. 1641 H. L'Estrange Gods Sabbath 59 If this Commandment injoyneth now no particular and set time under the Gospel, then..God hath lost one of his ten words. 1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Exod. xx. 17) 63 These ten words written by God himself. 1705 tr. J. D'Outrein Short Scheme Divine Truths xvi. 174 Q. Why does the Spirit of God call these Words the ten Words,..and not rather the Ten Commandments? A. Because they contain not only Precepts and Prohibitions, but also Promises. 1882 Hebrew Student May 3/1 We..presuppose..that a Mosaic Tora lies at the foundation of the Pentateuch, and that this Mosaic Tora consists of more than the ten words of the Decalogue. 1884 S. Cox Miracles 18 The fundamental moralities of the ‘Ten Words’. 1916 H. T. Fowler Orig. & Growth Hebrew Relig. ii. 34 It has been recently argued in favor of the Mosaic character of the ‘Ten Words’ that there was no favorable opportunity for the replacing of any earlier contents of the ark by such tables between the time of Moses and the time of written reference to the tables in the ark. 1995 L. Jacobs Jewish Relig. 116 Decalogue, the ten words, better known as the Ten Commandments, given by God to the people of Israel at Sinai. P4. With a verb. a. to get a word in (also to get in a word): to make a contribution to a discussion or conversation; to have a chance to speak. Frequently in negative contexts.to get a word in edgeways: see edge-ways adv. 2b. ΚΠ a1774 R. Fergusson Poet. Wks. (1799) 144 Had sae, and lat me get a word in. 1835 H. C. Robinson Diary 12 Nov. (1967) 143 Rogers..said in his sneering way: ‘Can Mrs. Masquerier get in a word?’ 1848 E. C. Gaskell Mary Barton II. vi. 101 A fine fellow enough, only too much of a talker; I could hardly get a word in, he cut me so short. 1883 R. L. Stevenson Treasure Island I. i. vi. 48 You are so..hot-headed and exclamatory that I cannot get a word in. 1929 A. L. Rowse Diary 28 Mar. (2003) 40 He started to talk immediately and went on and on, until I thought I should never get a word in. 1987 B. Duffy World as I found It (1990) 14 The discussion between Wittgenstein and the speaker grew so heated he couldn't get a word in. 2006 Racing Post (Nexis) 20 Sept. 8 Trainers listen to [him], and not only because he never pauses long enough for them to get a word in. b. to get a word out of: to persuade to speak. Chiefly in negative contexts. ΚΠ 1700 T. Brown et al. tr. P. Scarron Novels ii. 36 in tr. P. Scarron Whole Comical Wks. Don Rodrigo repair'd to his companion, who cou'd not get a word out of him, so much confounded he was at the unhappy Dilemma wherein he found himself. 1788 C. Smith Emmeline I. iii. 36 Mounseer won't be able to get a word out of her. 1857 Times 2 Mar. 11/5 I spoke to him, but could scarcely get a word out of him. 1889 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xxxiii He'd sit grizzling and smoking by himself all day long. No getting a word out of him. 1935 A. L. Rowse Diary 6 Apr. (2003) 88 Aunt Rowe was vexed at never being able ‘to get a word out of me’, that book was so absorbing. 1994 C. Cookson Tinker's Girl (1995) i. vii. 201 Can talk the hind leg off a donkey yet we can't get a word out of him when he's in the house. c. (a) to give (a person) one's word: (a) to make a promise, pledge, or undertaking; (b) to declare, state positively or certainly, assert, affirm (that). ΚΠ 1549 T. Cooper Lanquet's Epitome of Crons. f. 3 That against synne Christe instituted his kyngdome, gaue his woorde, and that he shoulde come to take away sinne, and saue us. 1574 T. Tymme tr. J. de Serres Three Partes Comm. Ciuill Warres Fraunce ix. 258 Dalbe yeelded so farre to their murderous enticementes, as he gaue his word and promise to kill the Admirall. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 491 He gaue his word, and sware that he would doe them no hurt at all. 1645 J. Howell Epistolæ Ho-elianæ ii. xix. 37 At the dissolution of the last Assembly at Lodun, where he solemnly gave his word to permit them to reassemble. 1719 C. Cibber Ximena iv. 35 Give me thy Word, that on the morrow Noon, Before the King in Person thou wilt answer. 1789 E. Inchbald tr. N. Destouches Married Man ii. i. 37 That is a secret I gave my word not to reveal. 1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. v. 117 We were lapidated by the natives—pebbled to some purpose, I give you my word. 1894 Eng. Hist. Rev. 9 499 The duke..had given his word that they should not suffer in life or limb. 1926 People's Home Jrnl. Feb. 49/2 You won't be ashamed of me, Dick—I give you my word. 1949 ‘P. Wentworth’ Spotlight xix. 119 The language—..I give you my word it was enough to curl your hair. 1982 J. McGahern in New Yorker 22 Mar. 49/2 If you can give me your word that you'll take the job, I can promise you that the job is as good as yours. 2004 D. Bargal & E. Sivan in Y. Bar-Siman-Tov From Conflict Resolution to Reconciliation vi. 143 [He] gave his word that no retribution would be exacted for acts committed under the Francoist regime. (b) to give the word: (a) to utter the password in answer to a challenge from a guard, sentry, etc.; (b) to declare what password is to be used. Now rare. ΚΠ 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xx. 91 Lear. Giue the word? Edg. Sweet Margerum. Lear. Passe. 1667 Duchess of Newcastle Life Duke of Newcastle ii. 60 He offer'd my Lord the Keys of the City, and desir'd him to give the Word that night. 1721 T. D'Urfey Grecian Heroine v. i, in New Opera's 137 Stand, give the Word e'er you pass farther. 1847 F. Marryat Children of New Forest I. v. 93 He gave the word, and the gate was opened. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xvi. 679 The first morning on which Marlborough had the command, he gave the word ‘Wirtemberg’. 1888 R. L. Stevenson Black Arrow ii. v. 139 ‘Who goes?’ cried the man in command. ‘Will Lawless, by the rood—ye know me as well as your own hand,’ returned the outlaw, contemptuously. ‘Give the word, Lawless,’ returned the other. 1977 S. MacManus Story Irish Race (rev. ed.) 446 A sentry challenged. ‘Advance and give the word!’ (c) to give words to: = to put into words at Phrases 4h. Also with indirect object, as to give (something) words. ΚΠ a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iv. iii. 210 Giue sorrow words; the griefe that do's not speake, Whispers the o're-fraught heart, and bids it breake. View more context for this quotation 1720 J. Hughes Siege Damascus v. ii. 67 A thousand tender Thoughts rise in my Soul, How shall I give them Words? 1761 R. Glover Medea iv. iii. 64 Utter thy complaints; Give words to anger, and to sorrow tears. 1821 M. R. Sterndale Life of Boy II. ix. 222 He had great pleasure in tracing the sympathy of character and manner in two beings so dear to him, yet prudently forbore to ‘give his thoughts words’. 1882 W. Besant All Sorts of Men I. viii. 191 At a loss to give indignation words. 1934 Times 14 Apr. 11/4 Those professional writers, or journalists, who will be grateful to Mr. Fisher for giving words to their sentiments. 1997 D. Simon & E. Burns Corner 256 He's looking up at the acoustic-tile ceiling, giving words to the thought running through the heads of everyone else in the courtroom. d. (a) to have words: to have a verbal altercation, speak angrily or sharply, quarrel, argue (with someone) (formerly also †to have some words, †to have many words). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > quarrel [verb (intransitive)] > in noisy or angry manner flitec900 chidec1000 strivec1290 scold1377 wrangle1377 jangle1382 brawlc1440 bickera1450 to have words1490 altercate1530 jar1550 brangle1553 brabble1568 yed1570 fraple?a1598 barrat1600 warble1600 camp1606 to word it1612 caterwaul1621 cample1628 pickeer1651 spar1698 fratch1714 rafflea1796 row1797 barney1850 dudgeon1859 frabble1885 scrap1895 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) iii. 88 Whan we playd togyder, we hade some wordes. 1655 J. Hammond Hammond versus Heamans 4 [They] had some words with Mr. Preston the new-made Commander, complaining of their injurious assuming of the Government, and taking away of the Records. 1723 I. Martin Tryal & Sufferings 24 Inq. What quarrels have you had with people? Do you remember their Names?..Mart. I nam'd four or five that I had words with. 1752 Sports of Muses 286 Two Gentlemen having Words in a Tavern, at length fell to fighting with their Canes. 1789 Whole Proc. King's Comm. Peace (City of London & County of Middlesex) 25/2 There were six or seven men having many words, and of course they were going to fight. 1835 Times 5 Feb. 3/6 Having had words with her mistress on the 5th of November, she went out into the garden crying. 1888 G. Meredith Let. 13 Feb. (1970) II. 909 This day our barbarians of the household have had ‘words’ together, and the Cook notifies her departure. 1901 ‘Zack’ White Cottage 37 Have you and Mark had wuds? 1974 O. Clark Diary 23 Mar. (1998) 8 Kasmin called me a silly cuss—we had words—I set Marianne on him re David's drawings of Celia. 2000 J. Sutherland & C. Watts Henry V, War Criminal? 33 After Emilia has come in and had words with Othello, Desdemona revives sufficiently to utter three speeches. (b) to have a word. (i) To speak briefly (with someone). Cf. sense A. 1c. ΚΠ 1592 R. Greene Philomela sig. E2 Tell her I am heere, and would if her leisure serued her gladly haue a word with her. 1631 B. Jonson Bartholmew Fayre iii. v. 45 in Wks. II Stay, Sir, I must haue a word with you in priuate. 1770 R. Cumberland Brothers iv. ii. 45 Please to betake yourself from the door of your cabbin; there's a young woman within I must have a word with. 1842 J. Banim & M. Banim Father Connell III. xiii. 247 Tom Naddy an' I had a word about his poor young misthress. 1934 M. Moore Let. 1 Mar. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 319 Naturally I suggested to Ellen that we have a word afterward. 1965 B. Sweet-Escott Baker St. Irregular vi. 167 It was difficult to have a word in private with any of the British members..because it was a rule that Americans and British should share rooms. 2002 R. Williams Sing yer Heart out for Lads i. 62 My mate the copper still has to go over and have a word, asks the geezer to turn the music down, neighbours bin complaining. (ii) = to have words at Phrases 4d(a). ΚΠ 1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xlviii. 480 ‘We were a very happy little company, Johnson,’ said poor Crummles. ‘You and I never had a word.’ 1910 King George V in H. Nicolson George V (1952) vii. 105 I have lost my best friend & the best of fathers. I never had a word with him in his life. 1935 Z. N. Hurston Mules & Men ii. vi. 287 Celestine is not mad any more about the word we had last week. 2004 Lexington (Kentucky) Herald Leader (Nexis) 17 June c3 We've always gotten along... We've never had a word or anything. e. to keep one's word: to honour one's promise; = as good as one's word at good adj., n., adv., and int. Phrases 4e. Similarly (now archaic) to hold one's word. ΚΠ OE Homily: Sermonem Angelorum Nomina (Corpus Cambr. 419) in A. S. Napier Wulfstan (1883) 230 Gif ge nyllað healdan eower word and eower wedd, ge þonne beoð adilegode of ealra lifigendra bocum. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4145 For þat weord þat ich þe sende, bi mine liue ich hit halde. c1330 Sir Orfeo (Auch.) (1966) l. 468 (MED) Nedes þou most þi word hold. a1450 MS Bodl. 779 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1889) 82 396 (MED) Hold þy woord, ic þe rede. 1524 tr. J. de Bourbon Begynnynge & Foundacyon Holy Hospytall sig. Eij They fered that y^e Turke wolde not holde his worde. 1578 J. Rogers Displaying Secte Heretiques sig. E.vi ^v The Turke likewise is..diligent in prayer, seuere in keeping his worde and promise. 1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream iii. ii. 267 Lys. I will keepe my word, with thee. Dem. I would I had your bond..Ile not trust your word. View more context for this quotation 1715 J. Vanbrugh tr. F. C. Dancourt Country House ii. 22 You must behave your self like a Woman of Honour, and keep your Word. 1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain iii. xxii. 165 I swore upon the rood, Neither to stop, nor turn, nor rest,..In life or death I hold my word! 1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. lxxx. 346 A gentleman should always keep his word to a lady! 1904 W. S. Blunt Fand ii, in Poet. Wks. (1914) II. 323 How shall I hold my word? I have promised..To yield him to his wife. 1963 J. Hitrec tr. I. Andríc Bosnian Chron. xxiii. 362 The Muscovites..were bad neighbors and warmongers and never kept their word. 2003 J. Mullaney We'll be Back 149 It's not finished yet; the West must keep its word and help rebuild the country. f. to make words. (a) In negative contexts: (not) to say anything (more) about a matter; (not) to speak about or make mention of. Now rare. ΚΠ 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccli. f. CC.xxviii/2 They coude nat amende it, nor they durst make no wordes therof. 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus in Paraphr. New Test. I. Mark ix. f. lxi Twelue..disciples..vnto whom his pleasure was to shewe this fight, because thei woulde make no wordes thereof. 1576 A. Fleming tr. Cicero in Panoplie Epist. 67 To make no words of that which I have oftentimes read,..what harme can there be in death. 1606 W. Burton tr. Erasmus Utile-Dulce sig. D 2^v He might perhappes giue but deafe eare to my prayers, or sende some calamitie vppon my family and neuer make wordes of the matter. 1664 J. Wilson Andronicus Comnenius iii. iii. 42 His name slipt from me unawares;..But make no words of't; it may do him wrong. 1730 A. Malcolm New Syst. Arithm. i. v. 37 The Application of the Rule is so plain, that I need make no more words about it. 1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer iv. 72 Bring me your bill, and let's make no more words about it. 1796 F. Burney Camilla II. iii. vi. 123 ‘Well, I won't make no more words about it,’ said Mary, angrily; ‘but I'm sure I never so much as touched it with a pair of tongs.’ 1892 Littell's Living Age 6 Feb. 333/1 Well, we won't make no words about the five bob. Let 'em stand over. 1911 ‘M. Bowen’ God & King iii. xi. 345 ‘The Commons have refused our request?’ Ranelagh dared not make words about it. (b) to make many words: to speak at great length; †to draw out a bargain, to haggle (obsolete). Chiefly in negative contexts; similarly to make few words, †to make but one word. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > speak [verb (intransitive)] > speak briefly or at length to make many words1530 to run out1533 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 843/1 To make fewe wordes, a brief dire. ?1532 T. Paynell tr. Erasmus De Contemptu Mundi xi. sig. Miii What shulde I make many wordes? 1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. B3 ^v Not to make many wordes (since you will needs know) the kings saies flatly, you are a miser & a snudge. 1654 Trag. Alphonsus iii. 38 Fall to thy business and make few words. 1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. ii. sig. Ff 3/3 To make many words about a small trifle, barguigner, contester pour une chose de neant. 1697 J. Vanbrugh Provok'd Wife ii. i. 14 To drive a Quaker's Bargain, and make but one word with you,..you must lay me down—your Affectation. 1718 C. Cibber Non-juror iv. 52 Look you, fair Lady, not to make many Words, I am convinc'd..I am not the Person you desire to be alone with, upon this Occasion. 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. xiv. 122 I will be so far from making any Words with you, that I will give you a Shilling more than your Demand. View more context for this quotation 1752 Ainsworth's Thes. Linguæ Latinæ (ed. 4) I. (at cited word) I will make but one word with you..te absolvam brevi. 1790 G. Washington Let. 24 Jan. in Writings (1931) XXXI. 2 Nor is it my wish to higgle, or make many words to the bargain. 1848 E. C. Gaskell Mary Barton (1897) xxxvii. 328 John Barton was not a man to take counsel with people; nor did he make many words about his doings. 1896 W. Morris Well at World's End ii. xxxiii. 247/1 Therewith dropped the talk of that matter: & in sooth Ralph was loath to make many words thereof, lest his eagerness shine through. 1931 Folk-lore 42 174 Then she sent still more honourable messengers... They..reminded him of his oaths, but he answered,—‘Do not make many words, for I shall never return to her.’ †(c) To make a proposal of. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > propose proffera1375 movea1382 adjustc1450 advance1509 to make words1645 offer1660 overturea1665 volunteer1818 1645 J. Milton Tetrachordon 43 Herod..cast his eye..upon Herodias..and durst make words of marrying her. (d) Chiefly Scottish. To talk at (too) great length of; to make an outcry or fuss. Sc. National Dict. (1976) records the sense ‘to make an uproar’ as still in use in Shetland in 1974. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > be copious [verb (intransitive)] > be prolix prolixa1538 to summer and winter1724 to make words1823 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward III. xiii. 310 You make words of nothing. 1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. at Words To mak Words, 1. To talk more about any thing than it deserves... 2. To make an uproar. 1855 New Monthly Mag. Aug. 478 ‘No,’ said Mary Carr, ‘if you must go, I shall accompany you.’ ‘Then don't make words about it,’ snapped Rose. 1892 Mrs. H. Ward David Grieve II. viii. 49 A saved it for tha, owt o' t' summer cattle moastly, without tellin nobory, so as not to mak words. g. to pass one's word: = to give one's word at Phrases 4c(a). Now rare. ΚΠ 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxviii. 706 He had passed his word, that the citie should not be charged with setting out an Armada. a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) i. v. 76 Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no Fox, but he wil not passe his word for two pence that you are no Foole. View more context for this quotation 1640 E. Gorges Let. in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700 (1998) 248 If Phellip would pase his word for the rente this one yeare I thought they myte holde it. 1765 G. G. Beekman Let. 26 Aug. in Beekman Mercantile Papers (1956) I. 485 When you desired me to pass my word to Mr. Hegeman for the Payment of the bread, it was with some Reluctance I did it. 1840 C. Dickens Master Humphrey's Clock II. xlii. 29 I have passed my word..and I'll keep it. 1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona xiii. 144 I am trysted with your cousin Charlie; I have passed my word. 1913 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 22 Feb. 25/3 Whitepig said no—he'd passed his word. h. to put in (also into) words: to express by means of language; to verbalize, articulate. ΚΠ 1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxii. 47 To put life into words by countenance, voice and gesture. 1682 T. Shadwell Lancashire-witches iv. 62 Mine received the news with more Joy, than he Could put in Words. 1763 H. Home Elem. Crit. (1765) I. Pref. A writer..must be possessed of the thought before he can put it into words. 1827 M. R. Mitford Dramatic Scenes 63 Beshrew thee, Edward, that hast put in words The very thought that woke within my heart Such torture! 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam v. 5 I sometimes hold it half a sin To put in words the grief I feel. View more context for this quotation 1892 Temple Bar Dec. 541 She could not put her fear into words. 1944 E. Johnston Amer. Unlimited i. 5 Why, Mr. Johnston, you've said just what I believe. You've put into words something I've felt all along. 1992 N. Cohn Heart of World xviii. 316 He takes one look at me, our eyes meet, and how could you put it in words, it's love at first sight. i. to say the word: to give an order or instruction, esp. to someone who is expecting one; to state one's wishes (in response to a question or request). ΚΠ ?1533 W. Tyndale Expos. Mathew (vi) f. lxviij^v Kynge and Emperoure are their seruauntes: they nede but saye the worde, and their will is fullfilled. 1560 B. Googe tr. ‘M. Palingenius’ Zodyake of Lyfe iii. sig. Eviii If thou sayst the woord, we goe. 1631 T. Heywood Fair Maid of West: 1st Pt. iv. 44 Shall I strike that Captaine? say the word, Ile have him by the eares. 1761 H. Brooke Earl of Essex v. 75 The bloody axe is ready—Say the word, (For none can cut off heads without your leave) And it is done. 1873 W. S. Gilbert More Bab Ballads 118 Miss Emily, I love you—Will you marry? Say the word! 1911 H. S. Harrison Queed i. 12 They march like little lambs when I say the word. 1960 P. Van Paassen Crown of Fire i. 39 If Girolamo wished to know the mother's identity, he had only to say the word. The servants were willing to tell everything. 2006 Granta Summer 49 Fancy the merchandise? Well, just say the word and it's yours. j. (a) to take up the word (in early use †to take the word): to begin speaking, esp. immediately after or instead of another person. Now rare. [Partly after French prendre la parole ; compare Hellenistic Greek τὴν παραβολὴν ἀναλαβεῖν to take up one's ‘parable’ (compare parable n. Phrases).] ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > speak [verb (intransitive)] > begin to speak upbreakc1275 to set spell on enda1300 gina1333 to take up (one's) parablea1382 braidc1400 to take up the word1477 begin1563 exordiate1594 to speak upa1723 to lug out1787 to speak out1792 upspeak1827 exordize1887 shoot1915 open1926 to come in1949 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 134 Mopsius toke the worde & sayde [etc.]. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) ix. 204 The kinge Yon toke the worde & sayd [etc.]. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccxliii. 219/1 Than the duke of Bretayne toke the wordes, & sayd [etc.]. 1557 Bible (Whittingham) Luke x. 30 Iesus taking his word said [etc.] [Gk. ὑπολαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν]. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 553 Then Drances took the word. ?1726 tr. F. de Motteville Mem. Hist. Anne of Austria IV. 136 The Prince of Conti took up the word, and said, [etc.]. 1808 W. Scott Marmion i. xxiii. 44 Young Selby..reverently took up the word. ‘Kind uncle, woe were we each one, If harm should hap.’ 1811 A. de Beauclerc Ora & Juliet II. 192 Henry..was going to address Mrs. Brewster; but lady Harriet took the word. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward III. xii. 300 There was a general murmur. ‘My Lord Duke,’ said the Count of Crevecœur, taking the word for the rest, ‘this must be better thought on.’ 1884 W. D. Howells Rise Silas Lapham x The Colonel, left alone with his wife.., made haste to take the word. 1887 W. Morris tr. Homer Odyssey I. i. 2 The Father of Gods and of men..took up the word. 1951 Folk-lore 62 459 Then Klafsky Gretel recited a fine oration (spruch), and when she had done, I took up the word with an oration. (b) to take a person's word: (a) to trust a person's promise, esp. a promise to repay a debt for which credit has been given (obsolete); (b) to accept a person's statement or assertion, without seeking verification, as being true or trustworthy; usually with for, esp. in take my word for it: (used to emphasize an assertion) I can assure you, you may be sure, believe me. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > accept as true, believe [verb (transitive)] ylevec888 leve971 ween971 i-weneOE takec1175 trowc1175 truth?c1250 thinka1275 believec1300 trustc1325 hold1340 trist1340 to give (one's) faith to (also unto)c1405 accept?c1430 admitc1449 credencea1529 to take a person at his (also her) word1535 credit1547 faith1576 to take a person's word1576 receive1581 creed1596 understand1751 Adam and Eve1925 buy1926 the mind > language > statement > assurance, confirmation, or guarantee > [phrase] witc900 hightOE to stand for it?a1500 take my word for it1576 I protest1587 I warrant me1825 1576 U. Fulwell Ars Adulandi vii. sig. Giii Tapster, set forwardes our dinner, and if we lacke money, I wil promise thee by the faith of a Gentleman, to pay thee when I come hither next. Tom Tapster. I take your word, you shall lacke no good cheare. 1587 in W. M. Williams Ann. Founders' Co. (1867) 69 He givinge his fayth promyse to M^r Alderman..M^r Alderman tooke his worde. 1597 E. S. Discouerie Knights of Poste sig. A4 Will you take my word for two pence? Take thy word? Ile see thee hangd first (qd she) pay me my money. 1623 J. Webster Deuils Law-case v. sig. L3 ^v This is a white Nun, Of the Order of Saint Clare; and this a blacke one, Youle take my word for't. 1672 W. Wycherley Love in Wood iv. i. 62 But may I take your word Jonas? 1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 284. ⁋4 Take my Word for it, there is nothing in it. 1712 J. Arbuthnot John Bull in his Senses iii. 9 Nobody will take our Words for Six Pence. 1762 S. Foote tr. P. N. Destouches Spendthrift iii. iii, in S. Foote et al. Comic Theatre I. 173 Nay, sir, don't take my word for it; ask his man here? 1842 F. Marryat Percival Keene III. vi. 105 Take my word for it, Tommy, you'll find all captains peculiar to one point; which is, [etc.]. 1864 R. Whately Christian Evid. iii. 21 How can you know, except by taking the word of the learned for it? 1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat 186 On a matter of this kind you can take Harris's word. 1918 Chambers's Jrnl. 1 Oct. 678/2 I refuse to take his word for it that the titles are O.K. 1969 Listener 16 Jan. 87/2 We have to take his word for most of what we're told in the book's final section. 1991 P. Carey Tax Inspector vii. 41 When you look at the books, you take my word, you're going to find some hanky-panky. 2007 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 27 Oct. b2 Don't take my word for it. Do the math. (c) to take a person at his (or her) word: see Phrases 1b(d). P5. In other idiomatic uses. a. words fail me (also him, her, etc.): used to indicate that a person is unable to think of an appropriate response, esp. because of shock, intense emotion, or outraged disbelief. Cf. to be lost for words at lost adj. Additions. ΚΠ 1762 J. Mitchell Female Pilgrim 21 Words failed her to express her thankfulness. 1842 T. Campbell Pilgrim Glencoe (1853) 198 ‘Words fail me,’ Allan said, ‘to thank aright Your father's kindness shown me yesternight’. 1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin xii. 218 ‘Lord love us!..d'you mean to say’—Words failed him. 1954 G. Smith Flaw in Crystal x. 103 ‘But look here,’ I expostulated, by way of a conventional last-ditch stand, ‘You can't tell me you've had the temerity to—’ Words failed me. 2008 Mirror (Nexis) 19 Feb. 43 As for suggesting the EU flag as a substitute—words fail me. b. word has it: it is (generally) reported, rumour has it (that). ΚΠ 1780 C. Burney Let. 1 June in Musical Q. (1979) 65 333 Word has it that Your Reverence has happily finished your great work. 1904 J. S. Gale Vanguard 113 Without telegraph or newspaper, word had it that Major Pak had yielded to the Doctrine. 1991 J. Keenan Putting on Ritz (1992) xv. 160 Word has it she blew 'em away. 2003 Go Girl Aug. 13/1 It seems like we haven't seen the last of them yet! Yay! Word has it that they've all got big plans. c. colloquial (originally U.S.). (the) word on the street: a rumour or piece of information or gossip currently in circulation. Cf. sense A. 4b. ΚΠ 1919 Evening Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) 4 Jan. (advt.) Chandler is back to $1795. That's the word on the street today. 1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 17 July a5 The word on the street is that next time it's the torch. 2001 Sci Fi June 32/1 Word on the street is that the Hughes brothers are calling this an ‘urban thriller’. d. slang (originally and chiefly U.S., in the language of rap and hip-hop). word to ——: greetings to ——; credit, esteem, or compliments to ——. Also word to the (also your, my) mother and variants: used as a general expression of affirmation or agreement, or to give force to a declaration. ΚΠ 1988 ‘Dr. Dre’ et al. Straight outta Compton (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics 244 Word to the motherfucker Straight Outta Compton. 1988 ‘Big Daddy Kane’ (title of song) Word to the mother (land). 1991 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) (Nexis) 9 Mar. Yo! Word to your mother. This Iceman's..like no other. 1998 L. Hill Final Hour in Miseducation Lauryn Hill (CD lyrics booklet) Word to Boonie I makes a lot like a Sunni. 2002 S. Holmes B-More Careful 253 It's something about her that ain't right, word to my mother. Compounds C1. (Almost exclusively in sense A. 12.) a. (a) General attributive and appositive, with the sense ‘of, pertaining or relating to, or consisting of a word or words’. word accent n. [compare German Wortakzent (1739)] ΚΠ 1844 C. Beck & C. C. Felton tr. E. Munk Metres Greeks & Romans i. vi. 23 The word-accent is not destroyed by the accent of the verse-rhythm. 1868 S. Kerl Common School Gram. Eng. Lang. 327 Any word or syllable can be brought under the poetic accent, when there is no prevention from quantity or word-accent. 1947 Notes 5 110 All would agree with the author that word accent should correspond with musical accent. 2003 M. von Albrecht Cicero's Style i. 19 Dangel points out connections between prose rhythm and word accent. word boundary n. ΚΠ 1910 Mod. Lang. Rev. 5 209 A person speaking naturally under ordinary circumstances is not conscious of the word-boundaries. 1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xxiii. 419 At the time of the loss of -n, the language did not distinguish word-boundaries in the manner of present-day English. 2004 I. Livingston Ling. Comm. Livius Andronicus 43 Virtually all Saturnian lines can be divided, at a word boundary, into two segments. word break n. ΚΠ 1907 L. J. Richardson Horace's Alcaic Strophe (Univ. Calif. Publ. Classical Philol.) 177 Within the initial portion of the verses word-breaks tend to occur at certain points with marked frequency. 1958 L. C. Hector Handwriting Eng. Docs. iv. 46 In later times formal documents on the whole avoid word-breaks. 1991 Lit. & Ling. Computing 6 35/2 Some older Hebrew and Greek manuscripts written in scriptio continua (without word breaks). word choice n. ΚΠ 1888 W. Andrews N. Country Poets I. 245 It must by no means be supposed that his scintillating brilliancy of word-choice is his highest quality. 1998 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 16 July 40/2 Speech is gnarled and simplistic at once..as if the literalness of the intrigue allowed Shakespeare to savor sheer oddness of word choice, to make language strange. word cloud n. an image composed of words used most commonly or prominently in a particular context or field, in which the size of each word indicates its relative frequency or importance. ΚΠ 2006 gizmodo.com (Nexis) 17 July This laser etched Powerbook with a word cloud of Web 2.0 terms has got to be the worst thing we've ever seen. 2008 Ancestry Nov. 35/1 Word clouds are effective ways of quickly and visually summarizing your family tree. 2015 T. W. Miller Web & Network Data Sci. ix. 179 (caption) Word Cloud for Richard M. Nixon Speeches. word coinage n. ΚΠ 1849 N. Brit. Rev. May 150 The Latinism of Isaac Taylor, the rugged word-coinage of Chalmers, or the gigantic Teutonism of Carlyle. 1929 Amer. Speech 5 92 It may surprise some readers to hear that poets and novelists are responsible for extremely few word-coinages. 1997 S. R. Horowitz Voicing the Void vii. 157 The obsession of Nazi leadership with public speeches and radio broadcasts, with slogans and chants, with word coinage and euphemism. word combination n. ΚΠ 1686 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 16 78 Such an Arbitrary pronounciation [sic]..might serve..for a help to learn the Signification of words, or Word Combinations of [Chinese] Characters. 1852 Amer. Whig Rev. Nov. 451/2 Feeling it to be our duty to give currency to every new discovery at all likely to benefit the world or literature, we present a few of Mr. Melville's word-combinations. 1932 A. H. Gardiner Theory of Speech & Lang. iii. 158 Syntax..may be defined as the study of the forms both of the sentence itself and of all free word-combinations which enter into it. 1991 Using Corpora (Proc. Conf. Univ. Waterloo Centre for New OED) 77 A large-scale inventory has been made of recurrent word combinations in the London-Lund Corpus. word composition n. ΚΠ 1856 Kenosha (Wisconsin) Weekly Democrat 28 May 1/7 His apostrophe however, to a glass of cold water, is a beautiful piece of word composition. 1904 H. Bradley Making of Eng. 127 The copious word-composition of Greek. 2007 Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot (Nexis) 5 Aug. a13 The opinion pages of the Citizen Patriot ought to denote the beauty of word composition. word creation n. ΚΠ 1829 Gentleman's Mag. 99 ii. Suppl. 594/1 At the first formation of a language..a genius is awakened by the free liberty of word-creation enjoyed, which [etc.]. 1884 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. July 187 That species of word-creation commonly designated as parasynthetic. 2007 Chicago Sun Times (Nexis) 6 July b4 Devilish word-creation outside the bounds of grammatical good taste is a tradition embracing Shakespeare, Edward Lear, James Joyce and Philip K. Dick. word derivation n. ΚΠ 1866 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 8 66 Such peculiarities are expressed partly in the grammar, partly in the varieties of word-derivation. 1891 Tablet 29 Aug. 331 The science of word-derivation is a growing one. 1997 C. Shields Larry's Party (1998) v. 81 At this time in his life he has zero interest in word derivations, but he can tell you plain and simple what a labyrinth is. word division n. [compare German Worttrennung (19th cent.)] ΚΠ 1856 S. P. Tregelles Horne's Introd. Textual Crit. New Test. (rev. ed.) iv. 30 The Gothic rulers of Italy, in the close of the fifth century, introduced word divisions in Latin documents. 1877 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. 6 459 Many people, misled by our ordinary word-division, imagine that they make a pause at the end of every word. 1991 Eng. Today July 49/1 Even an unjustified text will need some word-division. 2003 S. V. Tracy Athens & Macedon 4 A stoichedon arrangement..takes no account of word division from one line to the next. word element n. ΚΠ 1849 H. Bushnell God in Christ i. 73 The phrenologists claim..to show us the localities of these words in our heads, and how very man-like these word-elements will work when put together. 1903 H. Keller Story of my Life xiii. 58 I made many sounds and word-elements, not because they were a means of communication, but because the need of exercising my vocal organs was imperative. 1964 C. Barber Ling. Change Present-day Eng. iv. 78 These [new learned words] are usually formed from Latin or Greek word-elements. 1994 Eng. Today July 19 A description of how a text-retrieval program can search a tagged corpus for words, word elements, and their grammatical roles. word end n. ΚΠ 1888 Papers Amer. School at Athens 4 51 A word-end coincides with the end of the fourth foot in 400 of the 681 hexameters legible at this point. 1997 C. W. Kreidler Describing Spoken Eng. vi. 94 The symbol # here represents the word end. word ending n. ΚΠ 1829 M. Stuart Pract. Rules Greek Accents i. 20 The case-ending differs from the word-ending; e.g. σωτ-ήρ where ήρ is the word-ending; σωτῆρ-α, where α is the case-ending. 1863 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 419 After elaborate analytic researches in more than eighty languages, Mr. Garnett announced that word-endings were originally uninflected pronominal roots, with a locative signification. 1966 J. Derrick Teaching Eng. to Immigrants vi. 210 Meaning is conveyed..with a reduced form of grammar—word-endings are left off, structural words omitted, etc. 1996 W. Rukeyser in K. Amis Lett. (2000) 632 The butchered French reflects Kingsley's notion that there are really only 3 French word endings: ang, ong, and wow. word family n. [compare German Wörterfamilie (1765)] ΚΠ 1869 T. Turner 6th Eng. Reading Bk. ii. 130 We..see that, from a parent stem-word, we obtain a large word-family. 1926 H. W. Fowler Dict. Mod. Eng. Usage 553/2 A phonetically consistent method is in English peculiarly hard to reconcile with the keeping together of word families. 2000 Today's Parent Oct. 61/1 Hearing that initial letter..is the big early reading skill. From that, kids can use all the rimes to make word families. word-fog n. ΚΠ 1855 Knickerbocker Dec. 647 The charge was this—when clarified From technical word-fog—That French's son tin-pan had tied To tail of Fox's dog. 1943 Mil. Affairs 7 108 Thus we pass into a word fog on strategy and tactics which is somewhat reminiscent of Gertrude Stein of happier days. 2002 M. N. Forster tr. J. G. von Herder Philos. Writings iii. 198 Those will be philosophical times, when people write such descriptions—not when they veil themselves in general formulas and word-fog. word function n. ΚΠ 1912 L. Bloomfield in C. Hockett Leonard Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 35 The relation of word-form to word-function. 1994 N. Fabb Sentence Structure iv. 37 In this case, word class does not match word function. word game n. ΚΠ 1852 E. S. Dallas Poetics ii. iii. 72 Poesy is lowered into a mere word-game, a kind of leasing where we utter self-evident lies by way of amusement. 1899 Los Angeles Times 30 July 22 The idea is to deal out a dozen cards, each having some letter of the alphabet on it, to the players—such cards as are used in word games, or may be made for the purpose. 1934 Mind 43 117 Those who are reluctant to regard philosophy as mere mystery-mongering or as an academic word-game. 1974 R. Passmore & J. S. Robson Compan. Med. Stud. III. xxxiv. 8/1 Wittgenstein described speech as a ‘word game’, implying that language follows defined rules similar to those which govern sports. 2004 Independent 17 Aug. (Review section) 4/4 Before I left, I had..played the word game Taboo with two Mexicans, one Colombian, an Austrian and a Swiss. word history n. ΚΠ 1851 L. H. Grindon Figurative Lang. 103 No one who pretends to the slightest knowledge of philosophical etymology can for one moment deny that it obscures hundreds, nay thousands, of the most beautiful and instructive word-histories. 1875 W. D. Whitney Life & Growth of Lang. v. 94 In Anglo-Saxon there was no such word as of, as distinguished from off; their separation, in form and meaning, is a piece of very recent word-history. 1977 K. F. Kister Dict. Buying Guide ii. 240 The more substantial slang dictionaries provide detailed word histories and thus complement the etymological dictionaries. 2006 Tulsa (Oklahoma) World (Nexis) 8 Jan. h8 Current and reliable, it's second on word history only to the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary. word-idea n. ΚΠ 1877 R. Shute Disc. Truth vii. 245 Word-ideas have almost entirely superseded the old pictures of phænomena as instruments of reason. 1902 E. W. Scripture Elements Exper. Phonetics x. 150 A word-idea should be learned as parts of various courses of thought in order to form the necessary language associations. 1995 G. McCulloch Mind & its World vi. 152 You first acquire word-ideas on which you do the translation to get the thing-ideas. word-image n. ΚΠ 1851 Free Church Mag. Sept. 277/1 The dexterously selected glittering word-images of Emerson's most highly finished sentences. 1892 Philos. Rev. 1 681 The firm association between the sight and word image and the muscle sensations. 1940 Times 16 Jan. 18/3 Reading consists of recognizing word images, whether they are such simple shapes as ‘2’, ‘I’, ‘a’, or such complex images as are formed by the seven letters of the word ‘through’. 2000 Women's Rev. Bks. Dec. 12/4 My response translates into fragments of word-images, memories and sometimes brief, fantastic narratives of my own. word jingle n. ΚΠ 1876 R. W. Emerson Lett. & Social Aims 43 Barbaric word-jingle. 1943 J. W. H. Atkins Eng. Lit. Crit.: Medieval v. 110 He indicates certain common faults to be avoided by the writer, notably the use of hiatus, word-jingles, forced metaphors, and periods of excessive length. 2007 Korea Times (Nexis) 1 Nov. Even in the U.S., word jingles that might sound grammatically awkward are frequently used. wordlist n. ΚΠ 1859 Catal. Amer. Publishing Co. 43 in Key C. Davies' New Elem. Algebra Barnes's word lists to accompany Barnes's New National Readers. 1866 G. Stephens (title) The Old Northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England, with Introductions, Appendices, Word-Lists, Runic Alphabets, &c. 1929 Amer. Speech 4 337 The following word-list..does..record representative words and phrases commonly used by ‘knights of the road’, ‘migratory workers’, and denizens of the so-called ‘underworld’. 1939 PMLA 54 991 Cockeram borrowed most conspicuously from Bullokar. Their word-lists are strikingly similar. 2005 S. Elmes Talking for Brit. x. 248 Many hundreds of dialect terms were recorded in wordlists from all over Northumberland. word meaning n. [compare German Wortbedeutung (17th cent.)] ΚΠ 1851 F. Lieber On Vocal Sounds L. Bridgeman in Smithsonian Contrib. Knowl. 2 ii. 25 There are many perfectly articulate sounds used in our language, which, nevertheless, have neither a destinct [sic] word-meaning, nor are interjections. 1993 Omni Oct. 52/2 Raichel watches which areas of the brain react, and..isolates the parts of the brain that seem to be involved in the retrieval of word meanings. word memory n. ΚΠ 1843 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 13 334 It is a catalogue raisonné of the larger and smaller regions and districts of the globe... It is calculated for little more than the cultivation of a word-memory. 1890 W. James Princ. Psychol. I. xvi. 684 ‘Ataxic’ and ‘amnesic’ aphasia, ‘word-deafness’, and ‘associative aphasia’ are all practical losses of word-memory. 2003 S. J. Segal & L. D. Mastroianni Hormone Use in Menopause & Male Andropause vi. 39 Results showed that women receiving estrogen therapy performed significantly better than other women on some tasks. The largest group difference was in a word memory task. word order n. [compare German Wortfolge (1774), French ordre des mots (18th cent.)] ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > syntax or word order > [noun] construction1530 syntaxis1540 composition1553 syntaxa1637 syntaxa1684 consecution1871 word order1872 taxis1885 1872 J. W. Hales Longer Eng. Poems 237 Unreproved pleasures free. On this favourite word-order of Milton see Hymn Nat. 187. 1882 H. Sweet in Trans. Philol. Soc. 109 Parent Arian had already developed a perfectly definite word-order. 1958 Aspects of Translation 35 Inflexions and grammar impose a more rigorous word-order on the French language than on English. 2001 Classical Philol. 96 430 It is far more plausible to follow the word order, and take the adjective attributively. word pair n. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > similar or confusable words homoeoteleft1652 word pair1886 confusable1979 1886 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 17 App. p. xxii Word pairs of contrasted signification. 1936 G. K. Zipf Psycho-biol. Lang. (U.K. ed.) iv. 134 Word-pairs like submit and remit, or accuse and excuse. 1964 J. Vachek in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 194 The ModE word-pair longer [lɔŋgə] (comparative of long): longer [lɔŋə] (the noun of agent derived from the verb to long). 2005 A. Esgate & D. Groome Introd. Applied Cognitive Psychol. ii. 28 They presented their participants with word pairs, each consisting of a category word and an example of an item from that category (e.g. Fruit-Banana). word-palatogram n. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > [noun] > instruments or diagrams phthongometer1837 logograph1879 glossograph1883 palate-myograph1884 palatogram1902 tongue-curve1902 kymograph1918 voiceprint1918 vowel diagram1932 kymogram1934 speech stretcher1948 word-palatogram1948 recognizer1949 phonolaryngoscope1953 speech recognizer1953 grid1961 voiceprinter1966 1948 J. R. Firth in Bull. School Afr. & Oriental Stud. 12 859 Palatograms here presented..are word-palatograms. That is to say, they are used for the abstraction of articulatory contact and possibly also of movement from suitably selected words taken as whole utterances. 1986 K. N. Reddy in Proc. 13th All India Conf. Dravidian Linguists 168 The palatograms used in the present study were all ‘word-palatograms’... They were made to show the effect of pronunciation of whole word[s] rather than of isolated speech sounds. word part n. ΚΠ 1694 S. Pepys Let. 4 Aug. in Academy (1890) 9 Aug. 110/1 Your Specimen of Musick-Characters..must appeare Gracefull, when y^e Word-Part shall bee added. 1925 Elem. School Jrnl. 25 781 The pupil will get practice..in achieving familiarity with word-parts for the purpose of developing power to recognize new and difficult words. 2004 C. M. Santa et al. in D. Lapp et al. Content Area Reading & Learning (ed. 2) xiii. 170 Give the students clues by dividing the words photoperiodism into components: photo and periodism. Brainstorm possible definitions for each word part. word pattern n. ΚΠ 1677 F. Bampfield All in One 20 To be framed exactly, according to the platform'd Ideas, and word-patterns [printed work-patterns; corrected in errata]. 1873 H. Morley First Sketch Eng. Lit. iii. 85 Men of rank who had no poetry in their souls learnt to arrange the conventional ideas into musical word patterns. 1938 L. MacNeice Mod. Poetry ii. 40 The normal business of poetry is the conveying of information through certain kinds of word-patterns. 2002 Callaloo 25 85 Manipulating and extending the basic word pattern and syntactical arrangement established at the poem's beginning. word patterning n. ΚΠ 1926 L. W. Flaccus Spirit & Substance Art iii. 172 Not merely a picture painted in successive touches but word patterning that is subtly reminiscent and ever new. 2001 R. G. Havard Crucified Mind ii. 75 The same tension is found in ‘Can de llamas’.., where spatial imagery and word patterning derive more obviously from a religious substructure. word position n. [compare German Wortstellung (17th cent.)] ΚΠ 1861 I. Pitman in Phonetic Jrnl. 17 Aug. 450/1 We speak of vowel-places in writing vowels to consonants, and of word-positions in placing words in the writing-space. 1877 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. Great Brit. & Ireland 6 480 The following are, then, the essential elements of English grammar... Word Position. 1993 H. C. Gotoff Cicero's Caesarian Speeches 31 The possessive adjective is in its normal word position, but stressed in hyperbaton and placement in the period. word sound n. ΚΠ 1852 ‘G. Greenwood’ Greenwood Leaves 2nd Ser. 293 There is always in it [sc. Browning's verse] a sort of spiritual harmony, which overrules the mere word-sound. 1925 I. A. Richards Princ. Lit. Crit. xvi. 119 Many people are able to imagine word-sounds with greater delicacy..than they can utter them. 1999 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Mar. 84/2 Recently, I took time to count Brian's ‘uh’'s. The informal result: within five minutes of ad-libbing, Brian's ratio of ‘uh’'s to real word sounds approached one to five. word status n. ΚΠ 1937 A. H. Gardiner in Mélanges Ling. et Philol. offerts à J. van Ginneken 310 It seems necessary, as between the different classes [of proper names], to assign independent word-status further only to classes II and V. 2002 K. Emmorey Lang., Cognition & Brain v. 173 When symbolic and referential criteria are used to assign word status to a given utterance, then first signs and first words both appear somewhere around the first birthday. word stem n. [probably after German Wortstamm (a1835)] ΚΠ 1846 M. Stuart tr. F. H. W. Gesenius Hebrew Gram. 3 For the most part, the word-stems consist of three consonants. 1871 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 1869–70 23 In the structure of the Latin noun, there is the same arrangement of word-stem and flexion-ending as in the verb. 1985 Pract. Computing July 73/3 The search argument can contain Boolean operators, ranges and word stems. 2002 Polit. Theory 30 236 The English word families associated with terms such as tragedy, drama, and catharsis share Greek word stems with their Czech-language counterparts. word store n. ΚΠ 1838 E. Guest tr. Widsith in Hist. Eng. Rhythms II. iii. ii. 79 Wide travel told—his word-store [OE wordhord] unlock'd. 1858 W. Barnes Notes Anc. Brit. & Britons 109 Borlase and others have left word-stores of Cornish, and pieces of Cornish dialogue and verse. 1996 Internat. Rev. Appl. Ling. 34 23 Teaching at the advanced level should aim not only to increase the word store but also to flesh out the incomplete or ‘skeleton’ entries which even advanced learners may have for high-frequency verbs. word stress n. [compare earlier word accent n.] ΚΠ 1874 W. D. Whitney Oriental & Ling. Stud. xi. 319 If we enunciate a whole sentence together, the same subordination of the word-stress or accent to the sentence-stress or emphasis..will be clearly apparent. 1966 J. Derrick Teaching Eng. to Immigrants iii. 111 This distribution of stress in the individual word, ‘word stress’ as it is called, is a basic difficulty for the foreign learner. 2002 Language 78 271 Prefixes never bear stress; word stress remains on the first syllable of the root. word structure n. ΚΠ 1865 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 585 A book of affixes which should attract the young student to the study of English word-structure, and guide him to a correct understanding of the subject. 1948 Trans. Philol. Soc. 129 Eliminating the specific paradigmatic consonant and vowel systems as such, and enabling the syntagmatic word structure of syllables..to be stated systematically. 2007 Boston Globe (Nexis) 5 Aug. a2 Slips of the tongue in a particular language will follow the sound patterns and word structures of that language. word study n. ΚΠ 1677 F. Bampfield All in One 4 Word-Study and Scripture-Learning would make Art short and Life long. 1867 E. L. Youmans Culture Demanded by Mod. Life 47 The lingual student, captivated by the interest of word-studies, loses the end in the means. 1979 Notes & Queries June 245/2 The author of a word-study. 2002 T. Wagner Making Grade (2003) v. 144 All teachers now spent a half-hour a day on word study (phonics), in addition to all of the other elements of the literacy program. word taboo n. ΚΠ 1921 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 2 50 The importance of ‘word-taboo’ in the Eskimo language in Greenland, and the diversities caused thereby in the dialects of West and East Greenland. 1923 C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards Meaning of Meaning ii. 37 In Frazer's Golden Bough numerous examples of word taboos are collected. 2003 G. Gibbon Sioux ii. 35 Many factors, such as loan words, the presence of a strong literary tradition, and word taboos, can influence the rate of linguistic change. word trap n. ΚΠ 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 307 With a wily word-trap, hee deceiued the Archbishop. 1820 T. Mitchell tr. Aristophanes Acharnians in tr. Aristophanes Comedies I. 92 With silent glee his word-traps he lays deftly. 1992 R. C. Sinopoli Foundations. Amer. Citizenship i. 8 Like Hobbes's ‘bird belimed’, we flutter about in word traps of our own making and only add to the confusion we seek to clarify. word usage n. ΚΠ 1879 Evening Gaz. (Port Jervis, N.Y.) 24 Dec. 4/1 Though we respect and admire the young lady's love and devotion, her grammar was at a discount and her word usage somewhat on the John Logan style. 1924 R. M. Ogden tr. K. Koffka Growth of Mind v. 270 A difference in the serial order of the correct word-usage [Ger. des richtigen Wort-Gebrauches] must then depend..upon a difference in the colour-phenomenon itself. 2005 L. Laidlaw Reinventing Curriculum 183 In instant messaging or Internet chat situations, users tend to develop particular codes and word usages which convey added layers of meaning. word value n. ΚΠ 1870 Rep. U.S. Commissioners Paris Universal Expos. 1867 III. 446 Taking now the words of the copy which are to be set in a given line, we find the value of each word.., and then add together these word values until [etc.]. 1904 Elem. School Jrnl. 4 240 Even in the widely prevalent and constantly increasing use of slang the same carelessness and indifference to word-values are perceptible. 1938 I. Goldberg Wonder of Words xx. 438 For & has the phonetic value of et, but it has the word-value of and. 2000 L. Hejinian Lang. of Inq. 121 In Stein's writing, the word values, which are conventionally hierarchical, are often instead spread out within the sentence. word-weapon n. ΚΠ a1555 N. Ridley Certein Godly Conf. (1556) f. 34^v Truste not..to these worde weapons, for the kingdome of godde is not in wordes, but in power. 1702 J. Wilson Ess. National Love & Unity 8 They gave a Light, but it was to let them see to fight against one another, if not with warlike, certainly with Word-weapons. 1857 Badger State (Portage, Wisconsin) 4 Sept. 1/4 Word weapons, quite smart and very cute, glance from him. 1995 R. Belton Beribboned Bomb vi. 245 Perhaps because it was thought of as a word-weapon in the Surrealist revolution, hysteria was most subtly exploited in literary endeavours. (b) With the sense ‘(of a person) dealing with or acting by means of words, having words as his or her sphere of action or interest’. word-artist n. ΚΠ 1849 Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pa.) 28 May 1/1 What a power have words... When wreathed into form and thoughts by word artists. 1880 S. Lanier Sci. Eng. Verse x. 270 The word-artist, the poet, uses music only in that range of it comprehended between the limits of the speaking-voice. 1996 Mod. Asian Stud. 30 662 It appeared to Mishima that the loneliness of the word-artist could only be escaped in the ‘tragedy of the group’. word-conjuror n. ΚΠ a1832 F. D. Maurice Moral & Metaphysical Philos. in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) II. 576/1 These..specimens of Greek subtlety..they would be inclined to denounce..as the exploits of a mere word-conjuror. 1994 J. Nolan Poet-Chief iii. 62 More than simply a prophet, the shaman is a namer, singer, word-conjuror, storyteller, spirit-guardian, tribal-unifier, healer, and psychic voyager. † word-epicure n. Obsolete rare. ΚΠ 1891 Atlantic Monthly Mar. 409/2 The literary man, the word-epicure, delights in obsolete uses. word-juggler n. ΚΠ 1845 A. P. Peabody Connection between Sci. & Relig. 27 The very nation that worshipped him [sc. Voltaire] now regard him as a mere word-juggler. 1892 Old & New Test. Student 14 69 One may well allow himself to be thought and called a coward, rather than permit some theological word-juggler to entice him into strifes about shadows. 2001 P. Gibian O. W. Holmes & Culture of Conversat. iii. viii. 223 Holmes was a word-juggler who could, like Sterne, seem to throw the whole universe up into the air in an exquisite flying motion. word-master n. ΚΠ 1850 Eliza Cook's Jrnl. 4 May 8/2 His [sc. Hood's] powers of humour..made him known..as a word-master, a language-juggler. 1917 Classical Jrnl. 12 568 He no more disdains the play upon words than do most Greek authors from Homer down, although he is by no means the word-master that, for example, Plato is. 2006 Wired Dec. 88/1 Wordmaster Jerry Holkins and illustrator Mike Krahulik's thrice-weekly webcomic and blog was the final word on everything. word merchant n. ΚΠ 1809 Modern Times II. xv. 196 You, word-merchants of this ancient borough, scribes and pharisees, who, in sheep skins and goat skins, make merchandize of your neighbours. 1920 Punch 7 Jan. 9/2 The word-merchant [sc. a journalist] was laughing at us all the time. 1977 Grimsby Evening Tel. 14 May 7/4 He [sc. Malcolm Muggeridge] is the best word merchant of our time. 2007 Kingston (Ont.) Whig-Standard (Nexis) 9 May 6 We're word merchants. We sell language for a living. word musician n. ΚΠ 1855 Rambler Dec. 460 The vates was something more than a word-jeweller..; still less was he merely a man of rhythm, a word-musician, a swan, or an articulating fiddle. 1895 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Amer. Rev. July 11 This is [James Fenimore] Cooper. He was not a word-musician. His ear was satisfied with the approximate word. 1930 Classical Jrnl. 26 91 Such a wondrous word-musician as he [sc. Shelley] was must have agreed with Edmund Burke when he said that [etc.]. 1986 G. Greer Shakespeare v. 106 George Orwell is obliged to argue that Shakespeare is no thinker, but a word musician, seducing his hearers by ‘mere skill in placing one syllable beside another’. word-pirate n. ΚΠ 1603 T. Dekker 1603: Wonderfull Yeare sig. A4 Banish these Word-pirates (you sacred mistresses of learning) into the gulfe of Barbarisme. 1939 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 27 Jan. 4/6 Jimmy Cannon was groaning about imitators and other word-pirates. word-warrior n. ΚΠ 1600 T. Nashe Summers Last Will 1447 Those word-warriers..Had their heads fild with coosning fantasies. 1711 tr. S. Werenfels Disc. Logomachys vi. 98 Lib. i. tells us of Heraclitus a great Word-warrior. 1866 H. P. Liddon Bampton Lect. (1867) i. 17 Professional word-warriors of the fourth and fifth centuries. 2002 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 28 Feb. 15/1 Orwell believed that..it had been Winston's exuberant humanity..as well as his long career as a word-warrior, that had taken a people, shaking with trepidation, and made of them comrades in arms. (c) With the sense ‘done, executed, or conducted by means of words’. word battle n. ΚΠ 1845 ‘Young England’ Tracts for Manhood: On Regeneration 6 Assuredly therefore, by no vain Word-battle can this Regeneration secret ever be broken up. 1853 C. Kingsley Hypatia II. xii. 294 Not unwilling, like a philosopher and a Greek,..to embark in anything like a word-battle. 2007 Editor & Publisher Mag. (U.S.) (Nexis) 1 Aug. The site has a space for reader comments, which has to be monitored closely and was removed several times when comments turned into back-and-forth word battles. word-jugglery n. ΚΠ 1845 G. H. Lewes Biogr. Hist. Philos. I. 41 The word-jugglery of mysticism. 1999 S. Gardner Kant & ‘Critique of Pure Reason’ x. 331 Kant's failure to grasp the methodological primacy of language, according to Hamann and Herder, leads to the word-jugglery, the ‘metagrobolising’ of transcendental philosophy. word-war n. ΚΠ 1656 J. Trapp Comm. New Test. (ed. 2) (James xiv. 2) 906 Livy telleth us of the Athenians, that they waged Word-war against Philip. 1858 H. Coppée Elements of Logic x. 180 The disputatious spirit of the Greeks was as much concerned about the victory in logomachy or word-war, as about the discovery of truth. 1988 E. Cook (title) Poetry, word-play, and word-war in Wallace Stevens. word-warfare n. ΚΠ 1852 R. S. Bayley Course Lect. Inspiration Script. 65 If it [sc. the Bible] be not [explicit on Inspiration], all the word-warfare of the mere abstract reasoner can never break through the wall into the supernatural light. 1985 Stud. Eng. Lit. 1500–1900 25 820 Byron's word-warfare with the enemies of thought is..a kind of poetic anthropology concerned with man's language, biology, and politics. word-wound n. ΚΠ 1882 W. G. Dixon Land of Morning ix. 499 Sword-wounds may be healed, but word-wounds are beyond healing. 2005 State (Columbia, S. Carolina) (Nexis) 23 Jan. e8 Words can become weapons, which hurt, rather than heal, and deep down, the word-wounds fester. word wrangle n. ΚΠ 1643 C. Herle Answer to Fernes Reply 11 Indisposed to this kind of word wrangle. 1888 J. K. Hosmer Life Young Sir Henry Vane vii. 149 Cavaliers and Roundheads at length stood definitely opposed to each other, and the long word-wrangle deepened more and more into the thunderous tumult of war. 2007 Salt Lake Tribune (Nexis) 13 Jan. That world-class word wrangle warmed me up well for last Wednesday's public information session on Divine Strake at the Grand America Hotel. b. Instrumental. word-based adj. ΚΠ 1939 A. P. Rossiter Growth of Sci. 30 A development from these observations (the argument being under the control of the word-based theory all the time) was that [etc.]. 1963 J. Lyons Struct. Semantics ii. 11 A word-based grammar seems to be more satisfactory than a morpheme-based grammar for the description of languages of the ‘inflecting’ type. 2005 J. J. Jaegar Kid's Slips i. 18 Word-based errors..either consisted of one known word substituted for another known word..or of two known words blended together. † word-beat v. Obsolete rare. ΚΠ 1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper iii. 197 They revile, and word-beate our persons. word-charged adj. ΚΠ 1907 Macmillan's Mag. Sept. 868 Something, some influence begotten no doubt of the word-charged air, seemed to enter into him. 1990 A. Codrescu Disappearance of Outside 98 As the empires of the West were reconstituted post-World War I along image-based discoursive lines, their only challenge came from the word-charged periphery. word-clad adj. ΚΠ 1812 W. Tennant Anster Fair vi. lxi. 152 Sweet utterance of word-clad breath. 2004 Small Press Bookwatch (U.S.) (Nexis) 1 Oct. In her poetry, Crystal Bacon seeks to invoke feelings with word clad imagery that evokes a compelling authority by way of mind inspired, mythos influenced, thoughtfully emotional reader response. word-drunk adj. ΚΠ 1912 R. Kipling in London Mag. Apr. 23 Word-drunk people. 1964 Punch 15 Apr. 575/1 The word-drunk Don Adriano. 1997 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 13 July 18/1 The Mexican poet and playwright Carmen Boullosa makes her American debut in this word-drunk picaresque novel. † word-pity v. Obsolete ΚΠ 1642 T. Fuller Holy State i. iii. 8 Not so much word-pitying her, as providing necessaries for her. † word-strooken adj. [ < word n. + strooken, variant of past participle of strike v.] Obsolete rare. ΚΠ 1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue i. 263 Whilest he was hearing this sad storie..being so word-strooken to the heart. word-wounded n. and adj. ΚΠ 1810 G. Crabbe Borough iv. 63 When the Preacher..Dropt the new Word,..we heard the cry Of the Word-wounded. 1825 W. Tennant John Baliol v. iii. 142 Our excited and word-wounded ears. 1900 Bismarck (N. Dakota) Daily Tribune 23 Apr. 2/3 Love comes the once and not again, Word-wounded now, the heart is vain To heal the scar or dull the pain. 2005 Christian Cent. (Nexis) 12 July 43 I found Keizer's call for reticence to be balm for my word-wounded soul. c. Objective. (a) word-bearer n. ΚΠ 1846 R. C. Trench Notes Miracles xxxii. 442 The word-bearer for the rest of the apostles proves also, when occasion requires, the sword-bearer. 1995 Associated Press (Nexis) 26 Feb. More and more, I think people are word bearers... I think that's our mission in life... We're vessels for the word. word-coiner n. ΚΠ 1791 ‘P. Pindar’ Rights of Kings 20 This state of man [sc. cuckoldom]..Is not a situation of betweenity, As some word-coiners are dispos'd to call't. 1873 F. Hall Mod. Eng. 103 It is far too common, now-a-days, for young men, directly on being made free of a magazine, or of a newspaper, to commence word-coiners. 1935 Vanity Fair Nov. 38/1 There appears to be little leakage of their vernacular into even so ambitious a word-coiner as Variety. 2004 Independent 28 July 8/5 Hopkins, the great word-coiner, had his own expression for the intensity of existence of things, ‘inscape’. word-hunter n. ΚΠ 1755 tr. N. L. von Zinzendorf Expos. ii. 7 The Difference between a second Edition, and the first, seems of so little Consequence to some,..but, however, for Word-hunters the Disappointment will be very great. 1876 A. S. Palmer (title) Leaves from a Word-hunter's Note-book. 1955 Port Arthur (Texas) News 20 Mar. 6/2 How, then, did the term [sc. ‘eavesdropper’] originate? The word hunter finds that it goes back to the Anglo-Saxon word yfesdrype. 2007 Observer (Nexis) 6 May 22 Balderdash & Piffle..attracted..attention from dictionary detectives countrywide... Many of these fearless word-hunters [etc.]. word-lover n. ΚΠ 1857 Youth's Mag. (N.Y.) 9 283 Stray words..start up on every side to the plodding word-lover, as he seeks to thread his way through the ‘maze of hoar antiquity’. 1937 E. Partridge Dict. Slang p. ix A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, i.e. of linguistically unconventional English, should be of interest to word-lovers. 2001 S. Fatsis Word Freak xxii. 352 He explains to other math-brained word lovers his concept of ‘supervocalics’, a word he coined. word-maker n. ΚΠ ?1592 Trag. Solyman & Perseda sig. B2 I thinke thou art a worde maker by thine occupation. 1674 R. Baxter Full & Easie Satisfaction iv. ii. 93 If you can name some notional speculator or Word-maker that hath said so, you think you have authority to renounce humanity by it. 1826 Monthly Mag. June 570 If all the languages of this..world were condensed into one little lexicon, and all its word-makers and philologists jumbled into one mountainous Samuel Johnson. 1935 Ogden (Utah) Standard-Examiner 6 Dec. 6 b /1 With a new device born every minute to make life easier, the word maker finds his job increasingly difficult. 2004 S. Nasta Writing across Worlds v. 59 It is a part of Achebe's belief in..the integrity of the storyteller..that in his novel such word-makers are the people's protectors. word-sower n. ΚΠ eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xv. 97 Forðæm heton woroldwise menn wordsawere ðone æðelan lareow Paulus. 1582 Bible (Rheims) Acts xvii. 18 What is it that this wordsower would say? 1830 S. Weston Annot. Sunday Lessons 406 Paul differed materially from the Athenian word sowers, as the seed he sowed produced fruit; but the Athenian nut had nothing in it. 1995 G. A. Bond Loving Subject v. 137 His [sc. Robert of Arbrissel's] eloquence in Angers before Urban II brought him apostolic status as ‘God's word-sower’ (seminiuerbius Dei) a year later. word-spinner n. ΚΠ 1785 W. Harrod & F. Peck Antiq. Stamford & St. Martin's II. iv. 382 These gentlemen are great Word spinners, having a wonderful faculty in making half a dozen words stand for one. 1887 W. Morris in J. W. Mackail Life W. Morris (1899) II. 187 I am an inveterate word-spinner. 1987 Listener 1 Oct. 36/2 There is something irresistible about the dissipated, helpless wordspinner, staggering towards the gutter. word-stringer n. ΚΠ 1850 T. A. Trollope Impress. Wanderer iv. 56 The emasculated tribe of word stringers. 1997 Philadelphia Inquirer (Nexis) 25 Feb. b1 All types of word-stringers are welcome—from poets, story-makers and essayists to journalists and technical writers. word-weigher n. ΚΠ 1805 S. Weston Moral Aphorisms p. xviii Rast..is applied equally to the key written, and the key spoken by a word-weigher, or orator. 1986 18th-Cent. Stud. 20 77 Not only the dunces, but the entire gaggle of word weighers in the political establishment must have combed every line for a misplaced comma or a misspelled word or a misconjugated verb. word-wrester n. rare. ΚΠ 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (xii. 3) This dubblehartednesse..maketh men dubble~tunged & woordwresters. 2006 G. Barrett Official Dict. Unofficial Eng. p. v In June 2004 I turned my blog into a dictionary-oriented web site, which I named Double-Tongued Word Wrester. (b) word-breaking n. ΚΠ 1758 J. Hoadly in Coll. Poems Several Hands V. 250 The courtier too hath some excuse To think word-breaking small abuse. 1825 W. Scott Betrothed vii, in Tales Crusaders I. 126 Better is an empty stomach..with a clear conscience, than a fatted ox with iniquity and word-breaking. 1897 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 28 114 Word-breaking as in the Sapphic strophe. 1971 R. Brewer Approach to Print x. 119 A number of devices..enable the operator to see and decide where a word can be broken for correct justification and proper word-breaking. 2006 Arkansas Democrat-Gaz. (Nexis) 2 Feb. Indeed, word-breaking is among the most serious of the problems people have communicating with each other, say relationship coaches and best-selling authors Susie and Otto Collins of Chillicothe, Ohio, who wrote Communication Magic and Creating Relationship Trust, among other books. word-building n. ΚΠ 1760 Battle of Reviews viii. 105 He sollicited a Partnership with his Countryman, and was admitted to an equal Partition of the Issues and Profits of Word-building. 1862 W. Barnes Tiw p. v The known course of Teutonic word-building. 1998 A. Dalby Dict. Langs. 626/2 Written Tibetan is influenced by the word-building and the sentence structure of Sanskrit. word-chopping n. ΚΠ 1858 Harvard Mag. Dec. 401 That Homeric epithet of our race, ‘word-dividing men’, is by no means inappropriate, since word-chopping is the employment of half our lives. 1943 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 37 1092 Waiving the question of the expediency of trying to define the limits of military authority within another nation, it is word-chopping to try to decide when departure from the chivalric code of battle is justifiable. 2004 New York Sun (Nexis) 15 Jan. 17 Lattimore's main weapon was always word-chopping. Rather than declare whether he is a supporter of the United States or forthrightly condemn Stalinism, he argues over the meaning of the words ‘leftist’ and ‘Communist’. word-coining adj. and n. ΚΠ 1617 R. Brathwait Smoaking Age in tr. ‘B. Multibibus’ Solemne Ioviall Disputation 150 Thus will the word-coyning [printed word-joyning; corrected in errata] Scholler grace thee. 1799 A. Seward Let. 30 Apr. (1811) V. xxxvi. 220 I have always seen genius manified, and imagination, or fancy, womanized. I hope you pardon word coining. 1887 H. R. Haggard Allan Quatermain ix A time-serving and word-coining politician. 1920 19th Cent. Mar. 482 Word-coining was then a common industry. 2004 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 19 Nov. A laissez-faire and careless usage of the language with the facile excuse of word-coining. word-compelling adj. ΚΠ 1842 E. Bulwer-Lytton Zanoni I. ii. i. 113 Working..the corollary from the logic of his word-compelling colleague. 1872 J. R. Lowell Dante in Prose Wks. (1890) IV. 139 The..word-compelling Dante. 1948 O. St. J. Gogarty Mourning became Mrs. Spendlove 217 Yeats hated hatred. This probably explains why one so word-compelling had few terms of invective or of scorn. word-finding n. ΚΠ 1878 J. M. Granville Common Mind-troubles 51 The mind is..too busy with a crowd of thoughts to maintain proper command of the word-finding function. 1938 Eng. Jrnl. 27 675 After drill in alphabetizing lists pupils are given repeated exercises in quick word-finding, emphasis being placed on keywords. 1998 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95 6500/2 During testing of spontaneous speech, he had word-finding difficulties, empty speech, paraphasias, and speech interruption. word-hunting n. ΚΠ 1753 J. Armstrong Taste 131 Those sacred groves where raptur'd spirits..in word-hunting waste the live-long day. 1863 Times 5 Sept. 11/3 The word-hunting of Bardo Bardi, the epistolary squabbling of Politian and Bartolommeo Scala, the literary trifling and the connoisseurship of the time. 1998 Amer. Speech 73 85 The Web continues to be an exciting place for word hunting. word-juggling n. ΚΠ 1855 H. H. Milman Hist. Lat. Christianity VI. xiv. iii. 468 Scotus, bewildered by his own skilful word juggling, perceives not this. 1912 Amer. Jrnl. Theol. 16 538 It is not mere word-juggling but an attempt to set forth the ultimate problems of life and to declare that they are to be solved not by reason but by faith. 2006 National Rev. (U.S.) (Nexis) 12 Sept. He used the kind of word juggling that gave us the phrase ‘what the meaning of is is’ to answer her questions about his Sudan story. word-keeping n. and adj. ΚΠ 1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 473 To make tryall of her faith, and word keeping. 1649 J. Hart Fort-royal of Script. (new ed.) 416/1 A Word-keeping heart. 1858 Wautoma (Wisconsin) Jrnl. 1 Dec. 1/2 Word-keeping is a cardinal virtue. So let your story be told. 1897 G. Sigerson tr. Bards of Gael & Gall xiv. ii. 366 With thy foes Be strong, word-keeping and sure. 2003 Financial Planning (Nexis) 1 June You will basically succeed or fail..to the degree to which you are able to keep your word. Take this word-keeping credo to the highest degree. word-loving adj. ΚΠ 1787 Retrospect Portraits in Short Rev. (rev. ed.) 80 The genius and fancy of this word-loving magician. 1838 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 47 Lawyers are a word-loving, quibbling, phrase-twisting race. 1996 Harper's Mag. Nov. 66/1 A tough-talking, word-loving man of grim affairs taking a moment to read and remember. word preaching n. [compare Old English word-predicung preaching] ΚΠ 1657 J. Watts Scribe, Pharisee i. 123 You cannot bring us of, from the word~preaching. 1873 Salvation sought, found, & Enjoyed vi. 63 The most powerful word-preaching that the world has ever listened to. 2006 Africa News (Nexis) 7 July The programme schedule includes special picnics and word preaching, youth camps and street evangelism. word-selling adj. and n. ΚΠ 1736 Gentleman's Mag. June 353/2 Dame Law..call'd over her Word-selling Crew. 1949 P. W. Burton et al. Advertising Copywriting viii. 137 What more could a copywriter desire in his quest for word-selling? 2006 Nelson Mail (N.Z.) (Nexis) 10 Aug. 3 The 29-year-old started the evolving novel titled Million Word Story on a website hoping to emulate the word-selling website created by Alex Tew. word-setting n. ΚΠ 1839 Monthly Mag. Dec. 705 The two succeeding pieces [of poetry] are not without a certain skill in word-setting—the rhythm at the conclusion of the second piece is exceedingly pleasing. 1930 Proc. Musical Assoc. 1930–1 (1966) 88 We find in his work harmonic progressions as bold as those of Marenzio, and word-setting as expressive and passionate as that of Monteverdi. 2005 New Yorker 28 Mar. 80/3 Here, finally, is urgent word-setting over pungent chords. word-spinning n. ΚΠ 1763 J. Langhorne Effusions Friendship & Fancy II. x. 74 It is worth while to observe this method of word-chacing or word spinning in the passage above quoted. 1872 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David III. Pref. p. v Huge folios, full of dreary wordspinning. 1999 P. Dias et al. Worlds Apart v. 98 Such word-spinning could be just a form of procrastination, putting off through over-verbalization the tough work of generating forms that will work. word-splitting n. ΚΠ 1835 A. T. Malkin Hist. Parallels II. i. 15 That eloquence, and skill in word-splitting, by which..it could be shown that a man could speak and be silent at the same time. 1949 Mod. Philol. 47 16 Other cases of the critic's word-catching or word-splitting, as in the hero's farewell to the dead Polonius, ‘I took thee for thy better’, or in Ophelia's lament after the nunnery scene, ‘And I of ladies most deject and wretched’. 2002 Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times (Nexis) 12 Nov. b6 France, Russia and China finally agreed, after more than two months of tedious negotiations and word-splitting, to endorse it. word-twisting n. ΚΠ 1847 A. Strickland Lives Queens of Eng. XI. 16 The adepts in making anagrams, or any other kind of word-twisting. 1920 D. H. Lawrence Women in Love xxiii. 339 I know your dodges. I am not taken in by your word-twisting. 2006 Guelph (Ont.) Mercury (Nexis) 26 Oct. a10 Your readers deserve..responsible reporting based on fact and truth, not assumptions, presumptions and word twisting. word-wrangling n. ΚΠ 1863 H. Tuttle Arcana of Nature (new ed.) II. xv. 204 Science laughs at such idle schemes, and the word-wrangling of metaphysicians, while it lays its sure foundation by facts. 1914 D. Crawford Thirsting After God iii. i. 152 Mere windy word-wrangling. 2006 Austin (Texas) Amer.-Statesman (Nexis) 10 Dec. j5 Dearen has been a good hand at word-wrangling for a long time, and this book is full of engaging stories. C2. word base n. Linguistics the simple form from which the derivatives and inflected forms of a word arise; the uninflected or unaffixed form of a word; = base n.¹ 9. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > stem or base theme1530 thema1615 crude form1805 base1836 stem1851 base form1864 word base1865 kernel1894 stem-form1928 nucleus1932 base word1935 1865 S. S. Haldeman Affixes §65 Affixes..are of two kinds, prefixes, those at the beginning, and suffixes, those at the end of the word-bases to which they are affixed. 1931 C. L'Estrange Ewen Hist. Surnames of Brit. Isles xiv. 360 The root of Sanskrit and Pers. yuvan ‘young’ may well be one of the word-bases of Ewan, Owen [etc.]. 1996 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 59 299 Proto-Austronesian..is..reconstructed as having a majority of word bases of the form CVCVC. † word-bate n. [ < word n. + bate n.¹] Obsolete a dispute or argument about words. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > [noun] > quarrel about words word-bate1610 1610 T. Morton Encounter against M. Parsons ii. ii. 35 After this M. Parsons returneth to his word-bate. a1640 T. Jackson Exact Coll. Wks. (1654) 3155 Word-Bates, or Verbal Quarrels, arising from ambiguous or Unscholastick expressions of their Opinions or Conceipts. 1687 T. Tenison True Acct. Conf. Relig. 11 Mr. P. yielded it, and this word-bate ended. word-blind adj. Medicine affected with word blindness. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [adjective] > specific disorders tongue-tied1530 scanning1881 word-deaf1883 word-blind1888 paragraphic1899 paraphasic1899 adenoidal1908 telegraphic1916 adenoidy1926 paragrammatic1956 logorrhœic1960 paragrammatical1962 logorrhœtic1965 1888 Science 27 Jan. 43/1 The patient is not blind, but ‘word-blind’. 1967 Brain 90 138 The minor hemisphere appears to be alexic, word blind, word deaf, agraphic and astereognostic. 2007 Daily Mail (Nexis) 25 May 78 The books are still suitable only for women, of course, because doctors seem to believe that all male patients are word-blind. word blindness n. [after German Wortblindheit (A. Kussmaul in H. von Ziemssen Handb. der speciellen Pathol. u. Therapie (1877) XII. 174)] Medicine the inability to understand written or printed words when seen, resulting from localized brain damage; = alexia n.; (also, gen.) dyslexia. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults tongue-tiedness1598 plateasm1656 tongue-tying1762 paraphonia1772 lullaby-speech1822 cleft palate1847 paralalia1848 logoneurosis1857 zetacism1860 alogia1864 lallation1864 lambdacism1864 semi-mute1864 heterophemy1875 agrammatism1877 bradyphrasia1877 heterophasia1877 logopathy1877 paragraphia1877 paralexia1877 paraphasia1877 paraphrasia1877 verbigeration1877 recurring utterance1878 word blindness1878 word deafness1878 scanning1887 sigmatism1888 idioglossia1891 staccato utterance1898 word salad1904 palilalia1908 paragrammatism1924 idiolalia1930 dysprosody1947 Broca's aphasia1959 the world > health and disease > mental health > mental illness > degree or type of mental illness > [noun] > impairment of mental powers > inability to understand written words word blindness1878 text-blindness1909 1878 tr. A. Kussmaul in A. H. Buck Ziemssen's Cycl. Pract. Med. XIV. 770 The patients..had not lost the power either of speaking or of writing; they were no longer able, however, although the hearing was perfect, to understand the words which they heard, or, although the sight was perfect, to read the written words which they saw. This morbid inability we will style, in order to have the shortest possible names at our disposition, word-deafness and word-blindness. 1926 Brain 49 120 Lesions that cause acalculia, or impossibility of calculation, are often very large and associated with word-blindness and agraphia. 1960 New Scientist 15 Sept. 738/2 There might be a special category of reading backwardness which could be..termed ‘specific dyslexia’—though the deplorable name of ‘word blindness’ should be avoided. 1967 Brain 90 147 The earlier cases of word blindness and deafness involved extensive cortical lesions in the dominant hemisphere. 2007 Evening Chron. (Newcastle) (Nexis) 6 June 26 The issue of word blindness is particularly close to her heart as her son is severely dyslexic. † word-braving n. Obsolete boasting, idle talk. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pride > boasting or boastfulness > [noun] yelpc888 yelpinga1050 roosingc1175 boastc1300 avauntment1303 avauntry1330 vauntingc1340 bragc1360 avauntingc1380 boastingc1380 avauntance1393 angarda1400 bragging1399 vaunta1400 crackingc1440 crackc1450 crowing1484 jactancea1492 vaunterya1492 bragancea1500 gloriation?1504 blasta1513 vousting1535 braggery?1571 jactation1576 self-boasting1577 thrasonism1596 braggartry1598 braggartism1601 jactancy1623 braggadocianism1624 blazing1628 jactitation1632 word-braving1642 rodomontadea1648 fanfaronade1652 superbiloquence1656 vapouring1656 rodomontading1661 blow1684 goster1703 gasconade1709 gasconading1709 vauntingness1727 braggadocioa1734 Gasconism1744 Gascoigny1754 braggade1763 gostering1763 penny trumpet1783 cockalorum?a1792 boastfulness1810 vauntage1818 bull-flesh1820 blowing1840 vauntiness1851 kompology1854 loud-mouthing1858 skite1860 gabbing1869 mouth1891 buck1895 skiting1916 boosterism1926 1642 T. Fuller Holy State iii. xvii. 195 A word-braving, or scorning of all wealth in discourse. word-breaker n. a person who fails to keep a promise, pledge, etc. ΚΠ 1747 in Lett. Westm. Jrnl. 192 It hath been declared unto me of ye, my Brethren,..that ye are Time-servers, Deceivers, and Word breakers. 1825 W. Scott Betrothed iii, in Tales Crusaders I. 45 The promiser..escapes not the sin of a word-breaker, because he hath been a drunken braggart. 1939 S. Pribichevich World without End ii. iv. 322 There is no greater shame for an Albanian than to break a pledge..; the word-breaker is an outcast. 1999 Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 20 Apr. 10 Its ads put him in a lineup with recent presidential word-breakers. † word bridger n. Obsolete rare an abridger (cf. bridge v.²). ΚΠ a1382 Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) xxxvii. 128 Recapytulatour, word bregger. word-catcher n. (a) a person who catches or cavils at words, a petty or carping critic (now rare); (b) a person who catches or makes a collection of words. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > lexicography > [noun] > lexicographer dictionary-maker1567 dictionarist1617 lexicographer1658 word-catcher1659 dictionary writer1742 dictionarian1797 lexicographista1843 the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > [noun] > critic > captious plucker-atc1500 pick-fault1544 pick mote1549 trip-taker1556 mome1563 Momus1563 Zoilus1565 find-fault1567 caviller1574 carper1579 sheep-biter?1589 Zoilist1594 momist1597 word-catcher1659 knocker1898 crabber1909 kvetch1936 tearer-downer1942 nitpicker1951 kvetcher1968 1659 H. L'Estrange Alliance Divine Offices 134 Had this word-catcher searched into Antiquity he might have seen Clemens thus bespeaking the Corinthians. 1734 A. Pope Epist. to Arbuthnot 166 The Word-catcher that lives on syllables. 1835 R. Garnett Philol. Ess. (1859) 8 Of this sort of knowledge—the very foundation of all rational etymology—our word-catchers [sc. lexicographers] do not seem to have had the smallest tincture. 1836 Southern Literary Messenger 2 111/2 We knew a vagrant word-catcher to have in his list of Virginianisms Good bye t' ye, a phrase purely Shakspearian. 1883 A. B. Muzzey Reminisc. & Memorials Men of Revol. xx. 346 ‘Everett’, he once said to me, ‘is a great word-catcher’. 1978 Amer. Speech 53 191 We must not be content to define our standard either by the shibboleths of word-catchers or by the blind practice of the powerful. 2002 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 28 Aug. 46 Sproutarians, the wordcatcher in me was intrigued to discover, confine their diet to sprouted seeds, bean sprouts, wheat and broccoli. word-catching adj. and n. now rare (a) adj. given to or characterized by catching at words, pedantic, carping; (b) n. petty criticism, pedantry. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > [noun] > captious plitchinga1400 carpingc1400 cavillation1532 pinching1532 nibbling?1577 Zoilism1609 carp1618 snagging1642 find-faulting1654 word-catching1713 pickthanking1861 kvetchingc1950 nitpicking1951 1713 C. Upton Let. 14 Feb. in J. Kirkpatrick Hist. Ess. Loyalty Presbyterians ii. iv. 474 This Word-Catching Author..after all is Capable to make no greater Discovery of my Disloyalty, Jacobitism and Commonwealth Principles. 1729 in R. Savage Author to be Lett sig. A3^v Is not Word-catching more serviceable in splitting a Cause, than explaining a fine Poet? a1849 W. E. Burton Let. in G. E. Woodberry Life E. A. Poe (1909) I. vi. 241 I think you yourself would not have written the article on Dawes, in a more healthy state of mind... I regretted your word-catching spirit. a1874 C. W. S. Brooks Naggletons (1875) vi. 45 That is just your vulgar habit of word-catching, which, excuse me, Henry, is quite apart from the manners of good society. 1961 J. W. Draper Stratford to Dogberry ii. 15 In their malapropisms and their word-catching, they suggest the commedia dell'arte, somewhat Anglicized. word category n. Linguistics = word class n. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > [noun] partOE part of reasonc1450 party of reasonc1450 part of speech1517 word class1882 word category1883 word-type1936 1883 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 4 31 Originally oxytone word-categories may become paroxytone in some one language. 1938 B. L. Whorf in Language 14 275 Word Category; a category (overt or covert or mixed) which delimits one of a primary hierarchy of word classes each of limited membership (not coterminous with entire vocabulary), e.g. the familiar ‘parts of speech’ of Indo-European and many other languages, vs. Modulus Category; one which modifies, either any word of the vocabulary, or any word already allocated to a delimited class, e.g. voices, aspects, cases. 2002 Mod. Lang. Jrnl. 86 144/2 After analyzing word categories from oral and written perspectives, the authors raise the possibility of diglossia as oral and written French become increasingly dissimilar. word centre n. Anatomy (now historical and rare) each of certain centres in the brain involved in the understanding and production of spoken and written language. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > psychology > mental image > [noun] > part of brain controlling words word centre1880 1880 H. C. Bastian Brain xxix. 616 The Auditory Word-Centres, the Visual Word-Centres, and the double Kinæsthetic Word-Centres (viz., those in relation with the movements for Speech and for Writing) are, of course, only parts, though probably distinct and extensive parts of the respective cerebral Centres for Audition, Vision, and Kinæsthesia generally. 1957 Lancet 18 May 1018/1 Her word centre at one time was greatly disturbed, giving the impression that she was rather more severely demented than she actually was. 1986 J. Doris in S. J. Ceci Handbk. Cognitive, Social & Neuropsychol. Aspects Learning Disabilities I. i. 14 The problem in the remediation of word-blindness was to address the issue of the weakness of the visual word center. word class n. [probably after German Wortklasse (1817)] chiefly Linguistics a category of words of similar form or syntactic characteristics; esp. a part of speech. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > [noun] partOE part of reasonc1450 party of reasonc1450 part of speech1517 word class1882 word category1883 word-type1936 1882 E. Channing tr. A. F. Pott in tr. B. Delbrück Introd. Study Lang. v. 74 A root is an abstraction of all word-classes and their differences. 1914 L. Bloomfield Introd. Study Lang. iv. 109 Other word classes which are not expressed by formational similarity. 1924 O. Jespersen Philos. Gram. iv. 61 We have a great many words which can belong to one word-class only: admiration, society, life can only be substantives [etc.]. 1953 C. E. Bazell Ling. Form vi. 76 The so-called parts of speech (still more inappropriately word-classes) are classes of stem-morpheme. 1998 Euralex '98 Proc. I. ii. 261 All of the general properties shared by whole word classes..are assumed to be within the competence of the grammar rather than of the lexicon. word count n. an act of counting the number of words in a particular text, vocabulary, etc.; the number obtained in this way; (in later use also) a statistical study of word frequency. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > number or frequency of words word count1913 word frequency1917 wordage1919 1913 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 44 25 In the Dionysos-hymn of the women of Elis,..we have a tripudic word-count by twos and threes and fours, with the long syllable instead of the acute stress to signalize the main count or ictus in each word-foot. 1922 Classical Jrnl. 17 265 The only scientific way of determining this is by a word count analogous to that conducted by Dr. Lodge on the relative value of Latin words on the basis of frequency of occurrence in the Latin authors read. 1932 Evening Huronite (S. Dakota) 18 June 9/6 It covers 3,300 pages of testimony and 1,200 pages of depositions, a total word count of 1,125,000 words. 1957 Eng. Lang. Teaching (British Council) 12 1.10 There are valuable word-counts which give a clear picture of the relative importance of specific words in our total lexicon. 1997 J. Coe House of Sleep (1998) iv. 74 Terry performed a quick word-count on his computer, and found that he had already used up almost a third of his review space. wordcraft n. the art of using words; literary or oratorical skill. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > [noun] > sense of language > art of using words rhetoricc1330 wordcraft1804 wordsmanship1917 OE Cynewulf Elene 592 He is for eorðan æðeles cynnes, wordcræftes wis ond witgan sunu, bald on meðle. 1804 J. Collins Scripscrapologia A 3 A Noviciate in the Science of Word-craft. 1894 Athenæum 22 Dec. 863/2 The French school of literary critics of life..have been curious in their wordcraft. 1932 R. M. Lovett & H. S. Hughes Hist. Novel in Eng. xv. 444 All [these books] display his erudition, his word-craft, and to some extent partake of the fantastic strain. 2000 Heritage Feb. 38/3 His poetic works perhaps offer the best view of this outstanding wordcraft, unencumbered by the constraints of plot and performance. word-deaf adj. (and n.) [after German worttaub (1882 in the passage translated in quot. 1883); compare earlier word deafness n.] Medicine affected with word deafness; also as n. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [adjective] > specific disorders tongue-tied1530 scanning1881 word-deaf1883 word-blind1888 paragraphic1899 paraphasic1899 adenoidal1908 telegraphic1916 adenoidy1926 paragrammatic1956 logorrhœic1960 paragrammatical1962 logorrhœtic1965 1883 J. P. Cassells tr. A. Politzer Dis. Ear & Adjacent Organs 759 A woman..who was word-deaf, having two years previously, after violent headaches, lost both speech and hearing, and later exhibited signs of mental disturbance. 1943 W. de la Mare in Trans. Royal Soc. Lit. 20 77 Since children are chiefly taught in words, the word-deaf among them may remain apparent dunces. 1967 Brain 90 138 In tests like the foregoing the minor hemisphere appears to be alexic, word blind, word deaf, agraphic and astereognostic. 2000 Washington Post (Nexis) 30 Mar. v2 Annie has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. She is also word deaf and cannot speak. word deafness n. [after German Worttaubheit (A. Kussmaul in H. von Ziemssen Handb. der speciellen Pathol. u. Therapie (1877) XII. 174)] Medicine the inability to understand the meaning of spoken words, owing to localized brain damage. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults tongue-tiedness1598 plateasm1656 tongue-tying1762 paraphonia1772 lullaby-speech1822 cleft palate1847 paralalia1848 logoneurosis1857 zetacism1860 alogia1864 lallation1864 lambdacism1864 semi-mute1864 heterophemy1875 agrammatism1877 bradyphrasia1877 heterophasia1877 logopathy1877 paragraphia1877 paralexia1877 paraphasia1877 paraphrasia1877 verbigeration1877 recurring utterance1878 word blindness1878 word deafness1878 scanning1887 sigmatism1888 idioglossia1891 staccato utterance1898 word salad1904 palilalia1908 paragrammatism1924 idiolalia1930 dysprosody1947 Broca's aphasia1959 1878 tr. A. Kussmaul in A. H. Buck Ziemssen's Cycl. Pract. Med. XIV. 770 The patients..had not lost the power either of speaking or of writing; they were no longer able, however, although the hearing was perfect, to understand the words which they heard, or, although the sight was perfect, to read the written words which they saw. This morbid inability we will style, in order to have the shortest possible names at our disposition, word-deafness and word-blindness. 1947 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 60 463 Interesting records of word-deafness, word-blindness and congenital lack of speech are described. 1994 S. Pinker Lang. Instinct x. 313 There is a specific syndrome called Pure Word Deafness that is exactly what it sounds like: the patients can read and speak, and can recognize environmental sounds like..animals' cries, but cannot recognize spoken words. † word-dearthing adj. Obsolete rare producing a dearth of words, involving a great expenditure of words. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > verbose wordyOE of many wordsc1350 windya1382 diffused?a1475 word-dearthing1593 verbosious1601 worded1602 wordish1604 diffuse1612 wording1615 diffusive1624 verbose1665 baggy1866 talky1937 waffling1945 1593 T. Nashe Christs Teares f. 32 Thys huge word-dearthing taske. word-fence n. now rare verbal jousting. ΚΠ 1852 Monthly Christian Spectator Oct. 596 A very clever book, in which are many astonishing feats of logic, and triumphs of word-fence. 1899 W. S. Blunt Satan Absolved 11 Truce, Gabriel, to thy word fence. 1938 W. B. Otis & M. H. Needleman Surv.-hist. Eng. Lit. xi. 174 Lyly served as a model for Shakespeare's word-fence and wit-combats. word-field n. [after German Wortfeld (J. Trier, 1931)] Linguistics a group of lexical items (sometimes spec. of morphologically simple ones) seen as associated in meaning because occurring in similar contexts. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > group of words with associated meaning semantic field1914 word-field1934 1934 R. H. Fife in Exper. & Stud. in Mod. Lang. Teaching 5 Both writers [sc. Saussure and Weisberger] deal with the word as a nominalistic phenomenon which draws about itself a conceptual group, thus forming a ‘word-field’. 1965 Amer. Speech 40 62 Job is not identical with Arbeit; it stands at the lowest level of this word-field. 1991 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 36 118 Lexical gaps in word-fields may easily be filled with complex lexemes, transforming the word-field into a lexical field. word-final adj. and n. Linguistics (a) n. a letter or sound occurring at the end of a word; (b) adj. of, relating to, or occurring in this position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > letter or sound at beginning or end of word word-final1879 word-initial1889 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position word-final1879 word-initial1889 word-medial1935 1879 W. D. Whitney Sanskrit Gram. §152 A stem-final or word-final is in general to be regarded as having, not its etymological form, but that given it by the rules as to permitted finals. 1912 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 33 223 ‘Wernicke's Law’ says that the 4th foot of a hexameter must not end in a syllable made long by position by the union of a word-final with a following initial consonant. 1941 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 61 48/2 The retraction of the tongue..was no doubt due to the word-final position and the influence of certain following consonants. 1977 G. P. Delahunty in D. Ó Muirithe Eng. Lang. in Ireland 132 Devoicing of word-final voiced consonants. 2002 Y. Matras Romani iv. 54 The most common development affecting voice is the devoicing of stops in word-final position. word-finally adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-final position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word word-finally1945 word-medially1945 word-initially1946 word-internally1954 1945 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 11 32/1 Word finally as the final member of a vowel cluster, this phoneme is less open. 1992 D. Gutch in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 570 The unstressed sequence -er is realized preconsonantally and word-finally as a low form of [ə]. word-flowing adj. rare fluent in the use of words. ΚΠ 1680 R. L'Estrange tr. Cicero Offices i. 71 Crassus..was a word-flowing Speaker [L. uberior oratio L. Crassi]. 2006 Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) 12 Mar. g2/1 Between 1971 and 1973, when the famed Pleasant Hill author of ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest’..was in his late 30s and his word-flowing prime. word form n. a (particular) form of a word; esp. each of the possible forms taken by a given lexeme, typically distinguished by their grammatical inflections. ΚΠ 1840 Western Messenger Nov. 312 Our Evangelist..personified word-forms in the heads of speculative Egyptians, Syrians, Jews and Persians. 1858 G. Bush Notes on Bk. of Numbers xi. 147/2 The doubling of word-forms in the Heb[rew], as in other Eastern languages, intensifies the meaning, and makes them equivalent to superlatives. 1952 Mind 61 239 As society discovers..that judgments imputing responsibility..are never justified, the word-form ‘responsibility’ comes to change its meaning. 2000 Terminol. Work: Vocab. (B.S.I.) ii. 3/1 If the class is defined as all word forms..of ‘good’, then all the occurrences of the word forms ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘best’ are tokens. word-formation n. the formation of the words of a language; an instance or episode of this. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [noun] word-formation1839 1839 G. Bush Gram. Hebrew Lang. (ed. 2) i. iii. 47 This principle is most deeply interwoven with the whole system of word-formations. 1853 W. D. Whitney in Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 3 296 Its grammatical peculiarities run through all departments: euphonic rules, word-formation and composition, declension, conjugation, syntax. 1884 Cust in 13th Addr. Philol. Soc. 77 The oldest phase of the Hæmitic Word-formation. 1928 C. Bergener Contrib. Study Conversion of Adjs. into Nouns 1 I have..made an attempt..to ascertain the productivity of this mode of word-formation during the different periods of the language. 1998 Word 49 22 The German neologizer..routinely used forms common in modern German word-formation. word-formational adj. of, relating to, or involving word-formation. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [adjective] rhematic1841 word-formative1877 word-formational1933 1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xiii. 222 The outer, inflectional layer is represented by the construction of actress with [-ez], and the inner, word-formational layer by the remaining constructions, of actor with -ess and of act with [r̩]. 1948 L. Spitzer Linguistics & Lit. Hist. ii. 81 Thus Cervantes has expressed his perspectivistic vision in a word-formational pattern of the Renaissance reserved for hybrids. 1997 Language 73 459 Kriyol passivization appears to be an entirely productive, word formational process with no use of any passive auxiliary. word-formative adj. conducive to or involving word-formation. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > word-formation > [adjective] rhematic1841 word-formative1877 word-formational1933 1877 H. Bendall tr. A. Schleicher Compar. Gram. II. ii. 162 The stem- and word-formative suffixes also in Indo-European have arisen from originally independent roots by coalescence with other roots. 1976 Archivum Linguisticum 7 129 Zero-derivation..must be regarded an extremely productive word-formative process both in English and German, but also in other languages. word frequency n. the frequency with which a word occurs in a given text or corpus. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > number or frequency of words word count1913 word frequency1917 wordage1919 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > referring to frequency of words word frequency1917 1917 L. W. Rapeer Teaching Elem. School Subj. iii. 64 (caption) A cumulative curve for word frequencies in written discourse. 1974 E. G. Bedford & R. J. Dilligan Concordance Poems Alexander Pope II. 669/1 A six-page analytic table showing word-frequency distribution and the ratio between each word and the number of its occurrences. 2002 R. Plomp Intelligent Ear v. 111 There are large differences in how often we use the words we know, and word frequencies vary substantially between speaking and writing. word-geographical adj. of, relating to, or dealing with word geography. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > other schools of linguistics > [adjective] > linguistic geography or dialectology dialectological1850 word-geographical1950 1950 B. Sundby Dial. & Provenance Owl & Nightingale 16 An attempt has been made to test the vocabulary from a word-geographical viewpoint. 2000 Mod. Lang. Rev. 95 257 In the five word-geographical volumes of over 1000 maps..the emphasis is naturally on lexical features and on material culture. word geography n. the study of the regional distribution of words and phrases; a treatise dealing with this. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > other schools of linguistics > [noun] > linguistic geography or dialectology dialectology1820 linguistic geography1867 word geography1911 1911 Proc. Mod. Lang. Assoc. 26 App. p. xxxvi Word-geography and word-history as illustrations of the newer point of view. 1949 H. Kurath (title) A word geography of the Eastern United States. 1999 Amer. Speech 74 102 The authors place word geography into a wider linguistic and cultural context. word group n. [compare German Wortgruppe (1816 or earlier)] (a) a group of words; (b) Grammar = group n. 8. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > syntax or word order > syntactic unit or constituent > [noun] > other specific syntactic constituents terminant1589 absolute1709 adjectival1866 word group1871 nexus1924 immediate constituent1933 case marker1941 syndeton1954 group1959 placeholder1964 1871 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 1869–70 64 Mere translation will not exhibit its construction or afford a trustworthy basis of comparison with word-groups in other languages. 1897 E. Anwyl Welsh Gram. §19 The unit of connected speech is..the word-group; e.g. in English, ‘what-do-you-want?’ 2003 P. Wilson Hieroglyphs (2004) vi. 91 Champollion continued to collect texts and work through them, dividing out the word groups and applying each new piece of information as he found it. word-grubber n. a critic, esp. one who is overly exacting about details; (also) a person who uses difficult or obscure words. ΚΠ 1765 G. A. Stevens Celebrated Lect. on Heads (new ed.) 44 From the Tea-table Critic, we proceed to the Learned Critic, or Word-grubber. 1869 W. L. Blackley Word Gossip xv. 211 For nothing possible is improbable to a thorough word grubber. 1926 W. R. Castle Ess. Memory Barrett Wendell 3 They read through microscopes, searching for faults rather than for beauty... They are the word-grubbers of literature, exalting the text above the thought expressed by the text. 1994 B. R. Hopkins Nonprofit Law Dict. Pref. p. ix I wanted to call these brief remarks the ‘Prolegomena’, but they made me stay with ‘Preface’. This process, to my colleagues' dismay, has caused me to become a word-grubber. word index n. a list of the words used by a given author, or occurring in a given work (or corpus), usually with references to the passages in which they occur but without quotations (cf. concordance n. 6b). ΘΚΠ society > communication > book > matter of book > [noun] > index repertory1542 elench1570 index1580 Yellow Pages1871 word index1880 thumb-index1903 thumb-register1904 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > lexicography > [noun] > list of key-words word index1880 thesaurus1957 1880 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 1 213 Klatt gives some account of the linguistic peculiarities of this first specimen of a Jainastotra written in Prakrit, and appends a word-index (Prakrit-Sanskrit). 1937 M. L. Hanley (title) Word index to James Joyce's Ulysses. 1960 Amer. Speech 35 215 A lamentable deficiency is the lack of a full word index. 1987 G. Dixon (title) The Gilbert and Sullivan concordance: a word index to W. S. Gilbert's libretti for the fourteen Savoy Operas. 2002 Mod. Lang. Rev. 97 479 A MHG [= Middle High German] word index provides ready access to individual points of the commentary. word-initial adj. and n. Linguistics (a) adj. occurring at the beginning of a word; (b) n. a letter or sound occurring in this position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > letter or sound at beginning or end of word word-final1879 word-initial1889 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position word-final1879 word-initial1889 word-medial1935 1889 R. M'Lintock in Phonetische Studien 2 213 It..appears that when Mr Sweet says ‘initial’ he means, not ‘word-initial’, but ‘phrase-initial’. 1918 A. W. Aron in C. Hockett Leonard Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 58 These variations in word-initial [in Irish] do depend on the phonetic character of the original preceding word-final. 1926 L. Bloomfield in S. Saporta & J. R. Bastian Psycholinguistics (1961) 29/2 English word-initial [st-]. 1981 Notes & Queries Oct. 398/1 A large number of unexplained intersubstitutions of c and g in word-initial position. 2007 South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) 1 Sept. 4 This would entail teaching children to identify rhymes, word-initial sounds and word-final sounds. word-initially adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-initial position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word word-finally1945 word-medially1945 word-initially1946 word-internally1954 1946 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 12 63/1 All clusters with y except šy and ry have been found word initially. 1984 Amer. Speech 59 342 The r..was usually a tap, even word-initially, rather than a vocoid. word-internally adv. = word-medially adv. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word word-finally1945 word-medially1945 word-initially1946 word-internally1954 1954 G. E. Nye Phonemes & Morphemes Mod. Persian 15 Word-internally contiguous to consonants. 1992 D. Gutch in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 570 This glottal stop is normally retained word-internally when a vowel-initial form receives a prefix or constitutes the second element of a compound. word ladder n. a puzzle in which a given word is to be converted into another by way of a series of words each formed by changing just one letter of its predecessor (cf. doublet n. 4d).In quot. 1890 a ladder-shaped set of stars to be replaced with words in the same manner as a crossword puzzle. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles riddleOE logogriph1598 rebus1605 name-device1631 telesticha1637 lipogram1711 charade1776 conundrum1790 logogram1820 anagrams?1860 acrostic1861 metagram1867 word square1867 verbarian1872 jumble-letters1899 word ladder1928 Double-Crostic1934 word search1957 hangman1961 1890 Manch. Weekly Times 29 Aug. 6/7 Word ladder. Substitute letters for stars.] 1928 Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald 19 Mar. 20/5 Cross word puzzles, acrostics and word ladders are the fads of the day. 1958 Birmingham Mail 27 Jan. 6/7 Today's puzzle is for your shortest Word Ladder from Head to Body. It can be done in five easy steps without using any unusual words. 2000 Vancouver Sun (Nexis) 24 Apr. c12 Using the hints, go from COLD to WARM by changing one letter at each step of the word ladder. word length n. the length of a word as measured by the number of letters in it; (also) the length of a text as measured by the number of words in it; (Computing) the number of bits or (formerly) digits in a word (sense A. 13d), now typically 16, 32, or 64, but formerly fewer. ΘΚΠ society > computing and information technology > data > [noun] > unit of > as word word length1887 word1946 machine word1954 1887 Science 11 Mar. 243/2 A friend has furnished me with the result of the count of the first five thousand five hundred words of Caesar's ‘Commentaries’. The mean word-length is 6.065. 1938 I. Goldberg Wonder of Words xvii. 354 We instinctively ask for variation in sentence-length; we instinctively ask, indeed, for variation in word-length, for variation in accent and pitch. 1949 Math. Tables & Other Aids Computation 3 428 The word length of both numbers and orders in this machine is 44 binary characters. 1987 B. Leatham-Jones Elements Industr. Robotics iv. 94 The ASCII code... A 7-bit word length is thus used which can accommodate many more characters. 1995 Guardian 14 July (Friday Review section) 2/1 The interview also seemed to have been a short one: description and analysis by the interviewer accounted for rather more of the total wordlength. 2000 F. H. Sumner in R. Rojas & U. Hashagen First Computers iv. 388 There was a parity bit with each half-word giving a total word length of 50 bits. word-magic n. (a) enchanting or enthralling use of words; a powerful effect achieved by means of words; (b) Cultural Anthropology magic thought to be exerted by the knowledge or use of the proper name or term for something, or the supposed magical property residing in such a name. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > magical property of a name word-magic1848 1848 J. S. Smith Mirabeau II. iv. xv. 303 The mighty man who out-thundered his everlasting word-magic from the tribune of the French Assembly. 1895 Littell's Living Age 20 Apr. 170/1 Then it is that we meet, as in the ‘Ballad of a Nun’, with a descriptive stanza so full of a wonderful word-magic. 1923 C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards Meaning of Meaning ii. 42 The earlier writers are full of the relics of primitive word-magic. To classify things is to name them..to know their names is to have power over their souls. 1938 S. Chase Tyranny of Words iv. 37 Here, to follow Malinowski, we note the seeds of word magic, in which the name gives power over the person or thing it signifies. 1960 H. Read Forms of Things Unknown vii. 121 The name he chooses is magically apt, and in word-magic we must acknowledge the primordial intensive aspect of poetry. 2002 N. Tosches In Hand of Dante 113 It was as if I felt that, through a sort of word-magic, if I wrote my future, it might come to pass. word-medial n. and adj. Linguistics (a) n. a position in the middle of a word; (b) adj. of, relating to, or occurring in such a position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adjective] > within a word > in specific position word-final1879 word-initial1889 word-medial1935 1935 Language 11 32 ʔ in syl. initial (phonetically comparable to h in Eng. help) occurs in word-initial as well as word-medial. 1946 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 12 41/1 Glottal stop..can occur before any word-medial or word-final single consonant or cluster. 1974 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 40 129/1 When this syllable pattern occurs in word-medial, t and m are added. 2002 Nat. Lang. & Ling. Theory 20 500 Vowels in initial and final syllables are longer and articulated more strongly than vowels in word-medial syllables. word-medially adv. Linguistics in or with reference to the word-medial position. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [adverb] > in specific position in word word-finally1945 word-medially1945 word-initially1946 word-internally1954 1945 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 11 32/1 Word medially preceding i, the voiced bilabial fricative is always used. 1968 Language 44 532 A variety of further clusters occurred word-medially. 2002 Oceanic Linguistics 41 223 We have so far recorded only one example of an ejective stop appearing either word-medially or in post-consonantal position. word method n. Education (now chiefly historical) the ‘look-and-say’ method of teaching reading (see look v. Phrases 3b). ΘΚΠ society > communication > reading > [noun] > reading lesson > methods of teaching reading word method1848 phonics1901 1848 J. R. Webb John's First Bk. 19 The Word Method,..heretofore used, may be continued. 1879 Amer. Missionary Feb. 56/1 Joe took his first lesson in learning by means of the word method, and limped off spelling the word ‘so’. 1932 in E. Blyton Mod. Teaching in Infant School v. 62 The Word Method, or the Look-and-say Method. 1996 J. L. Leloudis Schooling New South i. 31 Proponents of the word method held spelling skills in low esteem, teaching them only ‘for convenience and not for mental culture’. word-mill n. [apparently originally after French moulin à paroles (1765 in the French version of the text cited in quot. 1765)] a garrulous or talkative person; (humorously) the supposed mechanism by means of which such a person produces his or her words; (also) an institution in which words are produced in great quantity. ΚΠ 1765 J. Lockman Entertaining Instructor 221 She also said of a lady, who indeed talked much, but well also, that she was a word-mill [Fr. que c'étoit un moulin à paroles]. 1853 C. G. F. Gore Dean's Daughter xxiv Do not give Miss Mordaunt reason to suppose me the only word-mill in the family! 1885 Puck (N.Y.) 29 July 343 Shut off your word-mill and take a tumble! 1943 Jrnl. Southern Hist. 9 528 Knowing little of the treatises on slavery, pro or con, they filled their columns day after day with the products of the word-mill on Capitol Hill. 1989 Anthropol. & Educ. Q. 20 107 Madame Durand revealed her cynicism when she called a doctor's son a ‘word mill’ who cranked out the answers without thinking. 2004 G. Samuelsson-Brown Pract. Guide Translators (ed. 4) (back cover) To view translation as a highly-qualified, skilled profession and not just a cost-led word mill. word-music n. pleasing or beautiful combination of words; poetic effect; poetry. ΚΠ 1830 T. Wade Jew of Arragon v. iv. 80 Thy lips are idly ope, for balmy breath Of sighs, nor sweet word-music, ever more Shall pass from their deep-crimson. 1855 ‘G. Eliot’ in Westm. Rev. Oct. 596 As long as the English language is spoken, the word-music of Tennyson must charm the ear. 1895 G. B. Shaw in Sat. Rev. 30 Mar. 413/1 M. Maeterlinck's fragile word-music. 1962 Observer 22 Apr. 23/4 The ailing cause of Shakespeare-designed-to-be-read-as-word-music. 2003 L. Faderman Naked in Promised Land xv. 269 I could spend my days contemplating Donne's wit and Swinburne's word-music. word-pecker n. [perhaps punningly after woodpecker n.] chiefly humorous a person who trifles or plays with, or quibbles over, words. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > ornateness > [noun] > wordmongering > one who wordmonger1590 lettermonger1592 parolist1604 logodaedalus1611 word-pecker1649 vocabularian1899 1649 A. Marvell in R. Lovelace Lucasta sig. a7 Word-peckers, Paper-rats, Book-scorpions, Of wit corrupted, the unfashion'd Sons. 1673 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd ii. 255 You are..a meer Word-pecker. 1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Word-pecker, one that play's with Words. 1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue Word Pecker, A punster, one who plays upon words. 1810 C. Lamb Let. 10 Mar. in Lett. C. & M. A. Lamb (1978) III. 47 I have picked out what I think blemishes, but they are but a score of words (I am a mere word pecker) in six times as many pages. 1930 Forum Dec. 375/2 Consider the birth of the modern snappy comeback, nifty, and wise-crack. We owe it to the ambitious word-peckers of a past generation. 2004 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 4 May 7 What a marvellously bizarre collection it is... It is of special interest to word peckers such as myself and The Dazzle. word-perfect adj. knowing perfectly every word of one's part in a play, a text for recitation, etc. ΘΚΠ society > education > learning > [adjective] > having learned perfectly word-perfect1864 1864 Dawson's Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daily Times 23 Jan. 3/1 They have the ability to do better, and should be as near word-perfect as possible in each play, before they appear in it. 1894 ‘J. S. Winter’ Red Coats 104 [He] had gone over, with care and loving attention, every little trifling detail of this interview, until he might fairly have been described as ‘word-perfect’. 1999 Financial Times 9 Oct. (FT Weekend section) p. vi/3 A new generation of students, born when Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast, are..word perfect on the Paid Arguer sketch and, of course, the parrot sketch. word picture n. a vivid description in words, presenting the described object to the mind like a picture; cf. word painting n.The expression is not used by Lamartine (see quot. 1835). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > narration > description or act of describing > [noun] > graphic or vivid > a vivid description imagec1522 picture1531 portraiture1592 portrait1596 word picture1835 photograph1841 pen portrait1850 society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > other non-story prose > [noun] > short sketch or description portraiture1650 word picture1835 cameo1851 thumbnail sketch1852 vignette1880 pastel1890 1835 Waldie's Sel. Circulating Libr. Best Pop. Lit. ii. 184 The volumes [of Lamartine's Pilgrimage to the Holy Land] consist of a series of ‘Word-pictures’ often startling by their vivid colours, always powerfully sketched. 1846 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. Mar. 193/1 ‘Would that Carlyle could now try his hand at the English Revolution!’ was my exclamation, on laying down the last volume of his remarkable ‘History of the French Revolution’, with its brilliant and startling word-pictures still flashing before my vision. 1871 E. M. Lawson Rina Cliffe x. 40 ‘It was a word-picture,’ replied Linda; ‘we can look at it as we cross this last quiet meadow, for I copied a few sentences just to give you an idea of it.’ 1928 Cent. Mag. May 127/1 Which of them has ever told us about it in such moving word-pictures as this young extern? 1968 H. S. Thompson Let. 9 May in Fear & Loathing in Amer. (2000) 69 You could probably get a pretty quick and accurate word picture of the situation from Sevareid. 2004 W. Deverell Whitewashed Adobe iii. 98 Clarke explained his whereabouts by drawing a word-picture of mountains, valleys, and waterway grids. wordplay n. [compare German Wortspiel (17th cent.), and also play n. 8c] (a) the action of playing with words; witty use of words, esp. of verbal ambiguities; (b) an instance of this, a play on words (see play n. 8c), a pun. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > wit, wittiness > wit with words > [noun] > instance of crank1594 wits, fits, and fancies1595 jerk1598 quirk1600 tongue-squib1628 dictery1632 repartee1637 quip1645 good thing1671 bon mot1735 a play on (also upon) words1761 sally1781 wordplay1794 southboarda1805 mot1813 smartism1830 1794 Freemasons' Mag. Sept. 188 When..blockheads pretend to wit, for which estimable talent a glittering tinsel of word-play is mistaken as the reality. 1851 Biblical Repertory Oct. 687 To such an extent is this word-play carried, that language seems in his hands to lose its meaning. 1856 H. G. Migault Eight Hist. Diss. Suicide i. 14 Sokrates, whilst etymologizing on the word σῶμα, body, indulges in the following somewhat fanciful word-plays. 1911 H. M. R. Murray Erthe upon Erthe Introd. p. xxix Word-plays of the kind..are..not common in Latin verse of the time. 1967 Sci. Amer. Sept. 268/1 The double acrostic..was..the most popular form of word-play in English-speaking countries throughout the last quarter of the 19th century and until the end of World War I. 1982 I. Hamilton Robert Lowell (1983) ii. 18 Argument pursued for the sake of wit and wordplay rather than for any just or true solution. 2004 Independent (Tabloid ed.) 30 Sept. 43/3 Reviews and articles appeared throughout the 1960s and 1970s,..all of them sparkling with Sams's delight in wordplay, puns especially. word power n. the extensiveness of one's vocabulary; the ability to express oneself effectively. ΚΠ a1876 H. Martineau Autobiogr. (1877) I. 399 Coleridge..prodigious word power. 1958 Life 19 May 58/1 (advt.) It is the one dictionary that helps young people build up the word power they need—with definitions so precise and accurate that correct understanding of every word is assured. 2006 Leicester Mercury (Nexis) 24 Jan. 27 Looking up words you don't understand or don't really know the meaning of, in a dictionary, can really improve your word power. word problem n. (a) Education (originally U.S.) a mathematical problem expressed in words; (b) [after German Wortproblem (W. Magnus 1932, in Math. Ann. 106 295)] Mathematics the problem of determining whether two different products are equal, or two sequences of operations are equivalent. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [noun] > mathematical enquiry > proposition > problem > specific problem Deliac problem1636 word problem1903 travelling salesman problem1949 four-colour problem1962 1903 D. A. Murray First Course Infinitesimal Calculus vii. 123 The student is in a position analogous to his position in algebra when he applied his knowledge about the solution of equations to solving ‘word problems’. 1947 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 12 90 The word problem for semigroups. 1993 Nature 1 July 21/3 The most important paper here is a proof that the word problem in cancellation semigroups is insoluble. 2007 Times Educ. Suppl. (Nexis) 23 Mar. Pupils often have difficulties solving word problems, even if they possess the skills to carry out the calculation itself. word recognition n. Education and Psychology the process or faculty whereby a reader perceives and correctly understands words. ΘΚΠ society > communication > reading > [noun] > word-recognition word recognition1879 1879 J. L. Hughes Mistakes Teaching iii. 83 Whatever method of teaching word recognition be used, pupils should read a line as soon as they can name the words it contains. 1956 T. W. Clymer in R. H. Beck Three R's Plus 139 Word-recognition skills have been mentioned... Context clues are the quickest and easiest of the word-recognition techniques. 1991 Internat. Jrnl. Law & Family 5 262 The Southgate reading test..is a standardized test of word recognition. word salad n. [after either German Wortsalat (1894 or earlier) or French salade de mots (1895 or earlier)] Psychiatry speech that is a disorderly, meaningless jumble of words, often containing neologisms, occurring esp. in advanced schizophrenia; (more generally) incoherent speech or writing; an instance of this. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > [noun] > specific disorders or faults tongue-tiedness1598 plateasm1656 tongue-tying1762 paraphonia1772 lullaby-speech1822 cleft palate1847 paralalia1848 logoneurosis1857 zetacism1860 alogia1864 lallation1864 lambdacism1864 semi-mute1864 heterophemy1875 agrammatism1877 bradyphrasia1877 heterophasia1877 logopathy1877 paragraphia1877 paralexia1877 paraphasia1877 paraphrasia1877 verbigeration1877 recurring utterance1878 word blindness1878 word deafness1878 scanning1887 sigmatism1888 idioglossia1891 staccato utterance1898 word salad1904 palilalia1908 paragrammatism1924 idiolalia1930 dysprosody1947 Broca's aphasia1959 1904 G. S. Hall Adolescence I. iv. 318 Both these tendencies have asylum out-crops in Forel's ‘word-salad’ or Krafft-Ebing's ‘word-husks’. 1930 L. E. Hinsie Schizophrenia ii. 28 The symptomatology is ordinarily not at all bizarre; there is not the scattering of thought, nor the ‘word-salad’. 1960 R. D. Laing Divided Self xi. 215 Her ‘word-salad’ seemed to be the result of a number of quasi-autonomous partial systems striving to give expression to themselves out of the same mouth at the same time. 1976 N. Postman Crazy Talk 228 The exorbitant fee one must pay..is made to seem plausible by a word salad of imposing proportions. 1991 J. Klinkowitz Donald Barthelme v. 117 Their dialogue is the piece's most inventive one, he mixing Joycean word salad with redneck vernacular, she sounding like both a sorceress and a street-tough feminist. word search n. a puzzle in which the object is to find hidden words, typically within a grid of apparently jumbled letters. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles riddleOE logogriph1598 rebus1605 name-device1631 telesticha1637 lipogram1711 charade1776 conundrum1790 logogram1820 anagrams?1860 acrostic1861 metagram1867 word square1867 verbarian1872 jumble-letters1899 word ladder1928 Double-Crostic1934 word search1957 hangman1961 1957 Winnipeg Free Press 20 May 29/3 (heading) Word Search. 1978 Eng. Jrnl. Apr. 79/2 Word searches, quizzes, and crosswords were added. 1994 Inside Soap Aug. 15/3 There's a whole host of soapie words hidden in our wordsearch grid. word sense disambiguation n. (in computational linguistics) the process or task of determining which sense of a word is being used in a particular context; abbreviated WSD. ΚΠ 1976 Philos. Forum 14 iv. 418 The author does not discuss the ‘vast problem’ of machine translation. Rather, he addresses himself to the ‘subproblem’ of word-sense disambiguation. 1994 Machine Transl. 9 110 After word-sense disambiguation, we have to attach to each occurrence its appropriate sense number. 2007 R. Rapp in P. Grzybek & R. Köhler Exact Methods in Study of Lang. & Text 575 None of the published algorithms comes close to human performance in word sense disambiguation. wordshot n. [after earshot n.] rare the range or distance within which one person can communicate verbally with another. ΚΠ 1839 T. Mitchell in Aristophanes Frogs 53 Two such ne'er-do-wells come not within word-shot of each other, but, believe me, there is ten times more talk than work. 1872 Scribner's Monthly Sept. 623/2 The clammers within word-shot hurriedly awaking the clams to their destiny—clam chowder! 2008 www.lethalwrestling.com 17 Jan. (O.E.D. Archive) I don't give a fuck, and neither should anyone within wordshot of me. word-sign n. something used to represent a word; esp. a graphic character representing a complete word; = logogram n. 2b; cf. word-symbol n. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > character representing a word per se1596 monogram1801 word-sign1842 word-symbol1852 word-type1866 letterword1927 logogram1933 1842 Brit. Mag. & Monthly Reg. July 34 A system of word-signs or verbal phonetics does not differ from a system of letter-signs or elementary phonetics. 1900 Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. 30 156 As regards word-signs, in general the connection of the meaning of the word with the picture is obvious enough once it is pointed out. 1908 G. K. Chesterton Man who was Thursday ix. 165 It did not take him long to learn how he might convey simple messages by what would seem to be idle taps upon a table or knee... ‘We must have several word-signs,..words that we are likely to want.’ 1964 P. A. D. MacCarthy in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 162 Four uniliteral ‘word-signs’ for the, of, and, to, are standard. 1991 Jrnl. Theol. Stud. 42 112 Scribes sometimes wrote a Sumerian word-sign, reading it in Akkadian, and sometimes spelt out the same word syllabically in Akkadian. word sketch n. a brief or simple word picture. ΚΠ 1845 G. B. Cheever Wanderings Pilgrim ix. 55 A sketch of the battle-field of Morgarten, pencilled amidst my own word-sketches, by an English clergyman. 1939 H. James Romance National Parks ii. 120 William Harrison Peters, in April, 1936, American Forests gave us some unforgettable word sketches. 2002 A. Melrose Write for Children iii. 105 Enclose another version, which includes some picture ideas. These need only be thumbnail word sketches in italics, just to give the editor a broader perspective. † word-spite adj. Obsolete rare characterized by the verbal expression of spite or ill will. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > spitefulness > [adjective] > verbal word-spite1857 the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > unkindness > spite, malice > [adjective] > expressed in words word-spite1857 1857 F. Palgrave Hist. Normandy & Eng. II. 561 A silly, yet ferocious, wordspite quarrel between Otho and Hugh-le-Grand. word square n. a set of words of the same number of letters arranged in a square so as to read the same horizontally or vertically; a puzzle in which such a set of words has to be guessed; (also, more generally) any square-shaped word puzzle. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > other specific groups or sets of words word square1867 doublet1879 society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles riddleOE logogriph1598 rebus1605 name-device1631 telesticha1637 lipogram1711 charade1776 conundrum1790 logogram1820 anagrams?1860 acrostic1861 metagram1867 word square1867 verbarian1872 jumble-letters1899 word ladder1928 Double-Crostic1934 word search1957 hangman1961 1867 Routledge's Mag. for Boys Feb. 122/2 (heading) Word squares. 1876 Burlington (Iowa) Hawk-eye 14 Sept. 7/4 We publish the word square this week, and the enigma shall soon appear. 1925 Times 26 Jan. 8/4 The remarkable Latin word-square under-noted is said to belong to the time of the Roman occupation of Britain. 1987 Video for You July 22/2 (advt.) Find the ten words..which are hidden in the word square. 2005 Hindu (Nexis) 11 Mar. Crossword puzzles are a development of the old word square. † words-speaking n. [compare Old English wordsprecende (adjective) able to speak] Obsolete talk, utterance (in quot. a1425: (perhaps) oratory, rhetoric). ΚΠ a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) l. 5451 They maken foolis glorifie Of her wordis spekyng. c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 511 Þerfor is it not gretelie to charge of wurdis-spekyng and a man do wele. word-stock n. the sum of words available to users of a language, dialect, etc.; vocabulary (in quot. 1926 as part of an extended metaphor: cf. stock n.¹ 4). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > words collectively vocabulary wordhoardeOE vocabulary1701 wordage1829 word-stock1858 wordlore1904 lexicon1933 lexis1960 vocab1971 1858 S. F. Dunlap Vestiges Spirit-hist. Man i. 20 Unless there is such a relationship, no innate radical resemblance can be traced in the word-stock of the Indian languages. 1886 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 17 Appendix p. xix The writer..turned his attention to the vocabulary or word-stock of the Assyrian in comparison with that of the Hebrew and Arabic. 1926 G. W. S. Friedrichsen Gothic Version of Gospels 23 By skilfully grafting the vigorous scions of his own speech on to the exotic word-stock. 1998 S. Winchester Surgeon of Crowthorne iv. 79 Establishing the limits of the language, creating an inventory of its word-stock, forging its cosmology, deciding exactly what the language was. word-strife n. now rare contention over words; = logomachy n. 1; (also) conflict conducted by means of the spoken or printed word, verbal altercation. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > debate, disputation, argument > controversy, dispute, argument > [noun] > about words logomachy1569 word-strifea1670 a1670 J. Hacket Scrinia Reserata (1693) ii. 107 The end of this λογομαχία, or Word-strife. 1851 J. Fulton tr. A. Wiesinger Biblical Comm. St. Paul's Epist. 355 Things which he has concisely characterized as empty talk, mere word-strife and insipidity. 1937 C. W. Elliott Winfield Scott xliv. 621 Northern delegates stood by him and prevented his expulsion, but much time was consumed in bitter word strife before the balloting was resumed. 1949 Daily Messenger (Canandaigua, N.Y.) 20 Oct. 1/8 A new outburst of Yugoslav-Russian word strife in Europe growing out of Yugoslavia's expulsion from the Cominform. word-symbol n. a word used as or taking the form of a sign or symbol; spec. = logogram n. 2b. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > character representing a word per se1596 monogram1801 word-sign1842 word-symbol1852 word-type1866 letterword1927 logogram1933 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > other specific types of word hard word1533 household word1574 magic word1581 grandam words1598 signal word1645 book worda1670 wordie1718 my whole1777 foundling1827–38 keyword1827 Mesopotamia1827 thought-word1844 word-symbol1852 nursery word1853 pivot word1865 rattler1865 object word1876 pillow word1877 nonce-word1884 non-word1893 fossil1901 blessed word1910 bogy-word1919 catch-all1922 pseudo-word1929 false friend1931 plus word1939 descriptor1946 meta-word1952 discourse marker1967 shrub2008 the mind > language > linguistics > linguistic unit > word > [noun] > symbol representing word word-symbol1852 lexigram1973 1852 Knickerbocker Aug. 114 To..show..that there is..a correspondence between the word-symbol and the object which it was originally intended to represent. 1904 Jrnl. Philos., Psychol. & Sci. Methods 1 412 In the ideogenetic thinking of artists, the word-symbols are not used. 1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xvii. 287 In the writings of other languages, where words are of various lengths, we find word-symbols used for phonetically similar parts of longer words. 1998 D. Bellos et al. tr. G. Ifrah Universal Hist. Numbers xxiv. 432/1 All we know of their astronomical canons..is the terminology by which they were described.., the terminology being the word-symbols. word time n. Computing the time between the reading of the first bits of successive words (sense A. 13d). ΘΚΠ society > computing and information technology > hardware > [noun] > memory > defined by speed of access > time taken memory cycle1948 word time1952 1952 Math. Tables & Other Aids Computation 6 111 The stepping is done by allowing the Z line to precess once during filling operations at the word time coincident with filling. 1969 P. B. Jordain Condensed Computer Encycl. 567 All activities must be calculated in multiples or submultiples of word time or cycle time. 1994 IEEE/ACM Trans. Networking 2 185/1 At 622.08 Mb/s, the word time is 51 ns and so the memory would need to have an access time less than 25 ns. word-tone n. Phonetics = tone n. 6a. ΚΠ 1876 Appletons' Jrnl. 6 May 607/1 We learn that in singing the Chinese are not able to give the needed ‘word-tones’, without which the words are confusing and often senseless. 1894 O. Jespersen Progress in Lang. ix. 340 So much for word-tones; now for the sentence melody. 1928 Proc. Brit. Acad. 14 354 The four word-tones used in the Mandarin language of Peking to keep otherwise identical words apart. 1999 Asian Music 30 167 Because the [Hmong] language is tonal and the word-tones are exaggerated in performance, the result sounds like song to us. word-vision n. rare the ability to understand the meaning of written words (the opposite of word-blindness); (also) imaginative use of words, wordplay. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > semantics > meaning or signification > [noun] > faculty which associates symbols with meaning word-vision1891 1891 Rev. Insanity & Nerv. Dis. Dec. 158 The centre for word-vision and the commissures between it and the concept centres were impaired by disease. 1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 313 Visual ideation, more particularly in reference to the association of written symbols with their meaning—that is, word-vision—is specially impaired by lesion of the left angular gyrus. 2000 D. Oliver Salvo for Afr. 47 Freudian misspellings, half meanings, puns, strange word combinations—a frequent kind of word-vision that I have now that I use computers so much. word-watch v. rare intransitive to engage in word-watching. ΚΠ 1968 Listener 25 Apr. 525/1 What happens if in turn we word-watch on Mr. Davie? Could it be that to use the word ‘histrionic’ ten times in one short article is itself somewhat histrionic? word-watcher n. an observer or critic of linguistic usage. ΚΠ 1915 E. Sidgwick Duke Jones ii. i. 217 ‘But I'm far from uncritical, I ought to tell you,’ she remarked. ‘Oh—don't say you are a word-watcher too!’ 1936 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz. 13 Mar. 1/7 Naturalness is the watchword of the word watchers. 1980 Amer. Speech 55 77 -gate has undergone some developments that should interest word-watchers. 1997 S. Pinker How Mind Works (1998) vi. 386 Word-watchers, verbivores, and sesquipedalians love a challenge. word-watching n. observation of linguistic usage, esp. with regard to changes and innovations. ΚΠ 1941 H. V. Routh Diffusion Eng. Culture 80 ‘Word-watching’ would lead to ‘sense-spotting’. 1961 (title of pamphlet) in Eng. Jrnl. 50 424 A field guide to word watching. 1997 Amer. Speech 72 115 The record of their word-watching in ‘Among the New Words’ triggers memories of time and place as readily as does a photograph album. † word-wood adj. [ < word n. + wood adj.] Obsolete wild or unrestrained in speech. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > [adjective] wordyeOE talewisec1200 i-worded?c1225 babblinga1250 cacklinga1250 chatteringa1250 speakfula1250 word-wooda1250 of many wordsc1350 janglingc1374 tatteringc1380 tongueya1382 ganglinga1398 readya1400 jargaunt1412 talkative1432 open-moutheda1470 clattering1477 trattling?a1513 windy1513 popping1528 smatteringa1529 rattle?1529 communicablea1533 blab1552 gaggling1553 long-tongued?1553 prittle-prattle1556 pattering1558 talking1560 bobling1566 gabbling1566 verbal1572 piet1573 twattling1573 flibber gibber1575 babblative1576 tickle-tongued1577 tattling1581 buzzing1587 long-winded1589 multiloquous1591 discoursive1599 rattling1600 glib1602 flippant1605 talkful1605 nimble-tongued1608 tongue-ripe1610 fliperous1611 garrulous?1611 futile1612 overspeaking1612 feather-tongueda1618 tongue-free1617 long-breatheda1628 well-breathed1635 multiloquious1640 untongue-tied1640 unretentive1650 communicative1651 linguacious1651 glibbed1654 largiloquent1656 multiloquent1656 parlagea1657 loose-clacked1661 nimble-chop1662 twit-twat1665 over-talkativea1667 loquacious1667 loudmouth1668 conversable1673 gash1681 narrative1681 chappy1693 apposite1701 conversative1703 gabbit1710 lubricous1715 gabby?1719 ventose1721 taleful1726 chatty?1741 blethering1759 renable1781 fetch-fire1784 conversational1799 conversant1803 gashing1808 long-lunged1815 talky1815 multi-loquacious1819 prolegomenous1822 talky-talky1831 nimble-mouthed1836 slipper1842 speechful1842 gassy1843 in great force1849 yattering1859 babbly1860 irreticent1864 chattable1867 lubrical1867 chattery1869 loose-mouthed1872 chinny1883 tongue-wagging1885 yappy1909 big-mouthed1914 loose-lipped1919 ear-bashing1945 ear-bending1946 yackety-yacking1953 nattering1959 yacking1959 woofy1960 a1250 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Maidstone) (1955) 103 (MED) Wimman is word-wod [a1300 Jesus Oxf. word woþ] & haueþ tunge to swift. word-writing n. logographic writing. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > system of writing > [noun] > thought-writing ideography1836 word-writing1843 thought-writing1860 notion-writing1863 1843 S. G. Howe in Lect. Amer. Inst. Instr. 1842 ii. 75 There are three kinds of writing: first, word-writing, or lexigraphic, as the writing of the Chinese, and some of the Egyptian hieroglyphical signs. 1856 Ladies' Repository Feb. 116/2 The third stage of progress in written language, is indicated by that system of word-writing which now prevails in China. 1933 L. Bloomfield Lang. xvii. 285 A better name [for ideographic writing]..would be word-writing or logographic writing. 1942 L. Bloomfield in C. Hockett Bloomfield Anthol. (1970) 385 In word writing each word is represented by a conventional sign... Chinese writing is the most perfect system of this kind. 1996 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 59 66 The xingsheng characters retain the element of word-writing and combine it with rebus writing. Derivatives ˈword-like adj. ΚΠ 1833 H. Ellison Madmoments II. 177 The stars are wove in wordlike guise. 1889 Hebraica 5 125 Pesiq stands between repeated words or word-like phrases. 1995 M. J. Riddoch & G. W. Humphreys in C. Hollin Contemp. Psychol. ix. 187 The third set of word-like stimuli were letter strings that followed the spelling rules of English..but they were not real words (e.g., tweal). This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online June 2022). wordv. Brit. /wəːd/, U.S. /wərd/ Forms: Old English wordian, Middle English worde, 1500s–1600s woord, 1500s– word, 1900s– wird (Scottish (Shetland)). Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: word n. Etymology: < word n. Compare Middle High German worten to speak, converse, squabble (German worten (now only regional); compare Old High German spilewortōn to be talkative, beside spilewort foolish talk), Old Icelandic orða to talk, talk of, to word (a letter, etc.), Gothic -waurdjan (in and-waurdjan to contradict, ubil-waurdjan to speak evil, filu-waurdjan to speak a great deal).In Old English only reliably attested once (in the Aldhelm Glosses of MS Brussels 1650: see quot. OE at sense 1a); compare the more common wordlian to talk, commune, to conspire ( < word n. + -le suffix). Compare also a possible attestation in the following example from the same source, in which a contemporary hand has emended the text:OE Aldhelm Glosses (Brussels 1650) in L. Goossens Old Eng. Glosses of MS Brussels, Royal Libr. 1650 (1974) 483 Rhetoricamur : loquimur, wurdliaþ [emended from wurdiaþ].The attestation in quot. OE at sense 1a is likewise sometimes regarded as an error for wordliende. It is perhaps worth noting that the same manuscript (Brussels 1650) also gives an isolated attestation of another related word: Old English wordrian to utter words, speak, talk. It is uncertain which part of speech (present participle or participial adjective) the form wordiende is intended to represent, as the gloss is in any case erroneous: the lemma, Latin contionandi (gerund in the genitive case) ‘delivering a public speech’ has apparently been mistaken for a nominative plural masculine of a form contionandus, gerundive. (Both cōntiōnandum and cōntiōnandus, gerund and gerundive respectively of cōntiōnārī to deliver a public speech, are attested in classical Latin; perhaps compare also classical Latin cōntiōnābundus (adjective) delivering a public speech.) †1. a. intransitive. To utter words; to speak, talk, Obsolete (archaic in later use). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > speak [verb (intransitive)] matheleOE speakc888 spellc888 yedc888 i-quethec900 reirdOE meldOE meleOE quidOE i-meleOE wordOE to open one's mouth (also lips)OE mootOE spellc1175 carpa1240 spilec1275 bespeakc1314 adda1382 mella1400 moutha1400 utter?a1400 lalec1400 nurnc1400 parlec1400 talkc1400 to say forthc1405 rekea1450 to say on1487 nevena1500 quinch1511 quetch1530 queckc1540 walk1550 cant1567 twang1602 articulate1615 tella1616 betalk1622 sermocinate1623 to give tongue1737 jaw1748 to break stillness1768 outspeaka1788 to give mouth1854 larum1877 to make noises1909 verbal1974 the mind > language > speech > speak, say, or utter [verb (transitive)] speakc825 queatheOE forthdoc900 i-seggenc900 sayeOE speak971 meleOE quidOE spella1000 forthbringc1000 givec1175 warpa1225 mootc1225 i-schirea1250 upbringa1250 outsay?c1250 spilec1275 talec1275 wisea1300 crackc1315 nevena1325 cast1330 rehearsec1330 roundc1330 spend1362 carpa1375 sermona1382 to speak outc1384 usea1387 minc1390 pronouncea1393 lancec1400 mellc1400 nurnc1400 slingc1400 tellc1400 wordc1400 yelpc1400 worka1425 utterc1444 outspeakc1449 yielda1450 arecchec1460 roose?a1475 cutc1525 to come forth with1532 bubble1536 prolate1542 report1548 prolocute1570 bespeak1579 wield1581 upbraid1587 up with (also mid) ——1594 name1595 upbrayc1600 discoursea1616 tonguea1616 to bring out1665 voice1665 emit1753 lip1789 to out with1802 pitch1811 go1836 to open one's head1843 vocabulize1861 shoot1915 verbal1920 be1982 OE Aldhelm Glosses (Brussels 1650) in L. Goossens Old Eng. Glosses of MS Brussels, Royal Libr. 1650 (1974) 297 Contionandi : to rædende uel wordiende [OE Digby 146 wordiende], loquentes. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9008 Þe king wordede þus. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iii. l. 742 (MED) Thei begunne forto worde Among hemself in privete. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xiv. l. 246 (MED) Whi ȝe worden to me þus was for ich aresonede reson. c1440 (?a1400) Morte Arthure l. 3393 (MED) Now wate thow my woo, worde as þe lykes. c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn l. 3261 Al be [it] that Geffrey wordit sotilly, The Steward & þe burgeysis held it for foly, Al that evir he seyd. 1690 C. Ness Compl. Hist. & Myst. Old & New Test. I. 131 The judge..will not ask men..how they have worded, but how they have walked. 1820 J. Keats Hyperion: a Fragm. ii, in Lamia & Other Poems 181 Thus wording timidly among the fierce. b. transitive. to word it: to talk, esp. excessively or violently; to have (angry) words with. Obsolete (English regional (East Anglian) in later use). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > be talkative [verb (intransitive)] > talk excessively or chatter chavel?c1225 babblea1250 chattera1250 clacka1250 janglea1300 ganglec1300 clapc1315 mumblec1350 blabberc1375 carp1377 tatterc1380 garre1382 rattlec1400 clatter1401 chimec1405 gabc1405 pattera1450 smattera1450 languetc1450 pratec1460 chat1483 jabber1499 clittera1529 cackle1530 prattle1532 blatter1533 blab1535 to run on pattens1546 tattle1547 prittle-prattlea1555 trattlea1555 tittle-tattle1556 quiddlea1566 brabble1570 clicket1570 twattle1573 gabble1574 prittle1583 to like to hear oneself speak, talk1597 to word it1612 deblaterate1623 tongue1624 twitter1630 snatter1647 oversay1656 whiffle1706 to gallop away1711 splutter1728 gob1770 gibble-gabble1775 palaver1781 to talk (etc.) nineteen to the dozen1785 gammon1789 witter1808 yabble1808 yaff1808 mag1810 chelp1820 tongue-pad1825 yatter1825 potter1826 chipper1829 jaw-jaw1831 buzz1832 to shoot off one's mouth1864 yawp1872 blate1878 chin1884 yap1888 spiel1894 to talk (also lie, swear, etc.) a blue streak1895 to run off at the mouth1908 chattermag1909 clatfart1913 to talk a streak1915 to run one's mouth1916 natter1942 ear-bash1944 rabbit1950 yack1950 yacker1961 to eat parrot head (also bottom)1965 yacket1969 to twat on1996 society > society and the community > dissent > quarrel or quarrelling > quarrel [verb (intransitive)] > in noisy or angry manner flitec900 chidec1000 strivec1290 scold1377 wrangle1377 jangle1382 brawlc1440 bickera1450 to have words1490 altercate1530 jar1550 brangle1553 brabble1568 yed1570 fraple?a1598 barrat1600 warble1600 camp1606 to word it1612 caterwaul1621 cample1628 pickeer1651 spar1698 fratch1714 rafflea1796 row1797 barney1850 dudgeon1859 frabble1885 scrap1895 1612 J. Webster White Divel ii. i. C 3 b My Lords, you shall not word it any further Without a milder limit. 1647 J. Trapp Comm. Epist. & Rev. (1656) (James iii. 13) 909 [Who is a Wise man.] Not he that words it most; for multiloquio stultiloquium. 1692 R. L'Estrange Fables ccccxxiii. 399 He that..contemns a Shrew to the Degree of not Descending to Word it with her. a1716 R. South Serm. Several Occasions (1744) X. 148 Men may snarl, and word it high against providence. a1825 R. Forby Vocab. E. Anglia (1830) Word, to dispute; to wrangle. Ex. ‘They worded it a long while.’ 2. transitive. To utter in words, say, speak (occasionally as distinct from singing). Also: †to speak of, mention (obsolete). Now rare (chiefly archaic in later use). ΚΠ c1400 (?c1380) Patience l. 422 When I hade worded quat-so-euer I cowþe To manace alle þise mody men. 1547 Ld. Burghley in Queen Katherine Parr Lamentacion of Synner Pref. I might iustely bewayle our tyme, wherin euil deades be well woorded [1582 worded], and good actes euill cleped. a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iv. ii. 241 I cannot sing: Ile weepe, and word it with thee. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iv. xiv. 9 Say, that the last I spoke was Anthony, And word it (prythee) pitteously. View more context for this quotation 1663 E. Waterhouse Fortescutus Illustratus 424 This way of Government being..changed,..it was made capitall (not onely to endeavour, but even to word the restitution thereof). 1834 Philomathesian July 373 He worded not his woe. 1841 Metrop. Mag. Sept. 55 Sir Lugubricius was volubly wording his kind invitation to his squire. 1908 M. J. Cawein Poems IV. 166 The night seems some dim sibyl Speaking gold, or wording magic Silent-syllabled and golden. 3. To express in or put into words; to compose, draw up; to specify the wording of. a. transitive. With explicit reference to the kind of language or form of words used. Frequently with adverb. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > express in a specific style [verb (transitive)] > express in particular terms layc1330 setc1460 couch1529 terma1535 phrase1556 put1571 shape1589 word1602 1602 B. Jonson Poetaster v. iii. sig. L4^v I mary, this was written like a Hercules in Poetry... I, and as strangely worded. 1619 T. Middleton Triumphs Loue & Antiq. sig. A4 Triumphs, wherein Art hath bene but weakely imitated, and most beggerly worded. 1671 R. Baxter How Far Holinesse lxiv. 18 They have not the skil to word and methodize their notions rightly. 1701 J. Norris Ess. Ideal World I. ii. 126 'Tis in reality one and the same question, only differently worded. 1713 A. Pope Corr. 14 Dec. (1956) I. 202 This little instant of our life, which (as Shakespear finely words it) is Rounded with a Sleep. 1741 J. Checkley Dialogues iv. 19 Our Clergy have apostatiz'd (as Dr. Edwards words it) from the Doctrine of the Church of England. 1849 C. Brontë Shirley III. vii. 164 If you knew how strangely you worded it..you would be startled at yourself. 1883 R. Broughton Belinda I. i. viii. 135 It is coarsely worded, I admit,..but believe me, the advice is sound. 1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert xxii. 267 She kept repeating to herself various ways of wording her message; for it was..no easy one to construct. 1933 R. C. Hutchinson Unforgotten Prisoner iv. 45 My letter was a fairly long one. It had to be worded carefully. 1993 D. Irvin Behind Bench xix. 299 He'd word it so it was clear he didn't want them to be doing anything physical with their husbands. b. transitive. Without qualification. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > art or occupation of writer or author > be the author of or write (a work) [verb (transitive)] > express in written work or write about writeOE inditea1340 pena1527 pursue1558 to lay down1583 discur1586 paper1594 style1605 word1613 exercisea1616 bescribble1643 describble1794 bewrite1875 1613 (title) Songs of mourning... Worded by Tho. Campion. And set forth to bee sung with one voyce to the lute, or violl: by John Coprario. 1623 W. Lisle in tr. Ælfric Saxon Treat. Old & New Test. To Rdr. 32 It would giue vs occasion either in wording or sentensing the principall parts thereof to looke back a little into this outworne dialect. 1659 T. Burton Diary (1828) IV. 225 I would have the question worded, before you rise, lest to-morrow be spent in it. a1700 T. Ken Hymnotheo in Wks. (1721) III. 282 Love dictated, Love worded ev'ry Line. 1771 Hist. Sir W. Harrington (1797) III. 95 Wording what I declared to be a releasement,..more binding than those promises I pretended to absolve you from. 1806 W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. 4 604 Spreading languages..have flourished and have faded, without wording one eminent narrative poem. 1831 T. P. Thompson in Westm. Rev. July 270 This statement of limits is found worded over again in the Protocol. 1860 W. C. Hazlitt Hist. Venetian Republic IV. xxiii. 108 This studiously temperate but suggestive message, worded by the Government, and formally superscribed by the Doge. 1903 Times 10 Feb. 3/1 To object to an address that was worded by a lawyer is pretty considerable nonsense. 2003 F. D. Busnelli in H. Koziol & J. Spier Liber Amicorum P. Widmer 21 The Italian decree fulfilling the European Directive on Product Liability.., whose text has been worded by a commission of experts. c. intransitive. poetic. To admit of being put into words.Apparently an isolated use. [After wear v.¹ 15.] ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > translation > translate [verb (intransitive)] translatea1387 interpret1576 translate1812 word1935 1935 L. MacNeice Poems 26 My dream will word well—But will not wear well. 4. †a. transitive. To ply or urge with words. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > loquacity or talkativeness > utter in a chattering manner [verb (transitive)] > talk excessively to word1602 to take (also seize, etc.) (a person) by the button1710 button-hold1838 buttonhole1848 to bend a person's ear1938 ear-bash1944 the mind > will > motivation > motivate [verb (transitive)] > incite or instigate > urge on or incite > vocally to cheer on1577 word1602 halloo1606 loo1667 chirrup1785 hark on1813 yell1851 hark forward1865 1602 J. Manningham Diary 9 May (1976) 84 [He] showed me certaine love letters from..[name heavily cancelled], whom he should have married, but himselfe crost it, though the gent[lemen] word him. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) v. ii. 187 He words me Gyrles, he words me, That I should not be Noble to my selfe. View more context for this quotation b. transitive. With adverb or adverbial phrase. To bring (a thing or person) into or out of a specified condition or circumstances by the use of words. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > speak, say, or utter [verb (transitive)] > cause to become by speaking bespeak1604 worda1629 speak1684 a1629 T. Goffe Raging Turke (1631) v. v. sig. L3 All in vaine, I striue to word away my inward paine. 1647 J. Howell New Vol. of Lett. 61 To have to do with perverse irrationall half witted men, and to be worded to death with nonsence. 1692 R. South 12 Serm. I. Ep. Ded. sig. A3^v Nor are Men to be Worded into new Tempers, or Constitutions. a1716 R. South Serm. Several Occasions (1744) VIII. 187 Not..to word away our souls, or declaim ourselves into perdition. 1777 Earl of Abingdon Thoughts Let. Edmund Burke 53 Are Englishmen to be thus worded out of their Rights? 1993 Sunday Times (Nexis) 9 May If you want to know where painting has gone in those 20 years, I will tell you. It has been worded away. †c. transitive. To pad out with (unnecessary) words. Obsolete.Apparently an isolated use. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > express copiously [verb (transitive)] > pad bombast1566 intraverse1607 word1646 pad1831 quad1876 1646 T. Coleman Brotherly Exam. Re-examined Postscr. 22 Pamphlets..wherein six pages..are worded out to thirty six. †5. transitive. With object complement: to represent (a person) in words as. Obsolete.Apparently an isolated use. ΘΠ the mind > language > speech > narration > description or act of describing > describe [verb (transitive)] > describe the character of represent1513 relate1582 personate1591 endorse1596 rendera1616 worda1616 character1618 person1644 exponec1650 characterize1653 a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) i. iv. 15 This matter of marrying his Kings Daughter..words him (I doubt not) a great deale from the matter. View more context for this quotation 6. transitive. Australian slang. To speak to, accost verbally; to tell, pass word to. Also: to rebuke, tell off. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > speak, say, or utter [verb (transitive)] > speak or direct words to, etc. speakc825 mint1493 sling1874 speech1877–86 word1905 1905 Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Nov. 5/1 A woman standing at the door ‘worded’ them, and asked them if they were not going to ‘set 'em up’. 1916 C. J. Dennis Songs Sentimental Bloke (new ed.) 50 I met 'im on the quite, An' worded 'im about a small affair. 1936 N. Marsh Death in Ecstasy vi. 79 He looks more like a regular dick. An' yet if I worded him maybe he'd talk back like a bud's guide to society stuff. 1967 K. S. Prichard Subtle Flame 234 Ted worded a mate of his on the Western Star. 1973 J. Murray Larrikins 117 The ‘donahs’ would grimace and giggle, and the boys would ‘word 'em’. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.int.eOEv.OE
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wordn.int.

Phrases

Compounds

Derivatives

wordv.