Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
WORD
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wort word, Latin verb um, Greek eirein to say, speak, Hittite weriya- to call, name Date: before 12th century
1. something that is said, b. plural talk , discourse , the text of a vocal musical composition, a brief remark or conversation ,
2. a. a speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning usually without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use, the entire set of linguistic forms produced by combining a single base with various inflectional elements without change in the part of speech elements, b. a written or printed character or combination of characters representing a spoken word , any segment of written or printed discourse ordinarily appearing between spaces or between a space and a punctuation mark, a number of bytes processed as a unit and conveying a quantum of information in communication and computer work, order , command ,
4. often capitalized Logos , gospel 1a, the expressed or manifested mind and will of God,
5. news , information , rumor , the act of speaking or of making verb al communication, saying , pro verb , promise , declaration , a quarrelsome utterance or conversation, a verb al signal ; password , 1
1. slang — used interjectionally to express agreement
II. verb
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb speak , transitive verb to express in words ; phrase