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Word of the Day
headquarters
UK
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/ˌhedˈkwɔː.təz/
US
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/ˈhedˌkwɔːr.t̬ɚz/
the main offices of an organization such as the army, the police, or a business company
About this
Word Of The Day
lingua franca
A region usually adopts a lingua franca, or common language, when its inhabitants speak many different languages or dialects.
When people hear the term lingua franca, they often think of English. Although there are millions of people worldwide who don’t speak English, it has still become the lingua franca of many regions and areas of communication. One example is aviation — for airline pilots around the world, English is the lingua franca. The term means «Frankish tongue» in Italian, a reference to the original, 11th-century lingua franca, a mixture of Italian, French, Turkish, and other Mediterranean languages.
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Commonly Confused Words
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A comprehensive guide to correct word choice
allusion / illusion / delusion
Novelists, magicians, and other tricksters keep these words busy. Novelists love an allusion, an indirect reference to something like a secret treasure for the reader to find; magicians heart illusions, or fanciful fake-outs; but tricksters suffer from delusions, ideas that have no basis in reality.
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predominate / predominant
If you win an election by a 3:1 margin, are you the predominant winner or the predominate winner?
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discreet / discrete
Discreet means on the down low, under the radar, careful, but discrete means individual or detached. They come from the same ultimate source, the Latin discrētus, for separated or distinct, but discreet has taken its own advice and quietly gone its separate way.
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- Idioms And Phrases
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes the one-wordblackbird (primary stress on “black”, and secondary stress on “bird”) from black bird (primary stress on both words). Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages.
(used in combination with the first letter of an offensive or unmentionable word, the first letter being lowercase or uppercase, with or without a following hyphen): My mom married at 20, and she mentions the m-word every time I meet someone she thinks is eligible.See also C-word, F-word, N-word.
words,
- speech or talk: to express one’s emotion in words;Words mean little when action is called for.
- the text or lyrics of a song as distinguished from the music.
- contentious or angry speech; a quarrel: We had words and she walked out on me.
a short talk or conversation: Marston, I’d like a word with you.
an expression or utterance: a word of warning.
warrant, assurance, or promise: I give you my word I’ll be there.
news; tidings; information: We received word of his death.
a verbal signal, as a password, watchword, or countersign.
an authoritative utterance, or command: His word was law.
Also called machine word. Computers. a string of bits, characters, or bytes treated as a single entity by a computer, particularly for numeric purposes.
(initial capital letter)Also called the Word, the Word of God.
- the Scriptures; the Bible.
- the Logos.
- the message of the gospel of Christ.
a proverb or motto.
verb (used with object)
to express in words; select words to express; phrase: to word a contract with great care.
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Idioms about word
at a word, in immediate response to an order or request; in an instant: At a word they came to take the situation in hand.
be as good as one’s word, to hold to one’s promises.
eat one’s words, to retract one’s statement, especially with humility: They predicted his failure, but he made them eat their words.
have a word, to talk briefly: Tell your aunt that I would like to have a word with her.
have no words for, to be unable to describe: She had no words for the sights she had witnessed.
in a word, in summary; in short: In a word, there was no comparison.Also in one word.
in so many words, in unequivocal terms; explicitly: She told them in so many words to get out.
keep one’s word, to fulfill one’s promise: I said I’d meet the deadline, and I kept my word.
man of his word / woman of her word, a person who can be trusted to keep a promise; a reliable person.
(upon) my word! (used as an exclamation of surprise or astonishment.)
of few words, laconic; taciturn: a woman of few words but of profound thoughts.
of many words, talkative; loquacious; wordy: a person of many words but of little wit.
put in a good word for, to speak favorably of; commend: He put in a good word for her with the boss.Also put in a word for.
take one at one’s word, to take a statement to be literal and true.
take the words out of one’s mouth, to say exactly what another person was about to say.
weigh one’s words, to choose one’s words carefully in speaking or writing: It was an important message, and he was weighing his words.
Origin of word
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch woord, German Wort, Old Norse orth, orð, Gothic waurd, waúrd, all from Germanic wurdam (unattested); akin to Latin verbum “word,” Greek rhḗtōr (dialect wrḗtōr ) “public speaker, orator, rhetorician,” Old Prussian wirds “word,” Lithuanian var̃das “name”
OTHER WORDS FROM word
in·ter·word, adjectiveout·word, verb (used with object)well-word·ed, adjective
Words nearby word
Worcester china, Worcester sauce, Worcestershire, Worcestershire sauce, Worcs, word, word accent, wordage, word association, word association test, word-blind
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to word
conversation, talk, account, advice, announcement, comment, expression, information, message, news, remark, report, rumor, saying, speech, concept, name, phrase, sound, term
How to use word in a sentence
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In other words, the large-scale burning this summer shows that these campaigns have yet to effectively prevent deforestation or the subsequent uncontrolled wildfires in Brazil.
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In this example, I went with the word “shoes” as this is a product listing for shoes.
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That may feel like a strange word to describe a perennial 50-game winner — one that’s been so good, and so close — with a generational scoring talent.
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Think of good synonyms or words connected to the brand, without compromising your Google ranking.
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If you mouse over the word, you’ll see original English word.
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This is acting in every sense of the word—bringing an unevolved animal to life and making it utterly believable.
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She vowed to repay the money—no official word, however, on whether she ever did that.
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But news of the classes is spread mainly by word of mouth, and participants bring along their friends and families.
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Still other people have moved away from the word “diet” altogether.
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Back in Iran, he once got word that the Iranians were going to raid a village where his men were stationed.
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Not a word now,” cried Longcluse harshly, extending his hand quickly towards him; “I may do that which can’t be undone.
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Every word that now fell from the agitated Empress was balm to the affrighted nerves of her daughter.
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When we were mounted Mac leaned over and muttered an admonitory word for Piegan’s ear alone.
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Now for the tempering of the Gudgeons, I leave it to the judgment of the Workman; but a word or two of the polishing of it.
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Huxley quotes with satirical gusto Dr. Wace’s declaration as to the word «Infidel.»
British Dictionary definitions for word (1 of 3)
noun
one of the units of speech or writing that native speakers of a language usually regard as the smallest isolable meaningful element of the language, although linguists would analyse these further into morphemesRelated adjective: lexical, verbal
an instance of vocal intercourse; chat, talk, or discussionto have a word with someone
an utterance or expression, esp a brief onea word of greeting
news or informationhe sent word that he would be late
a verbal signal for action; commandwhen I give the word, fire!
an undertaking or promiseI give you my word; he kept his word
an autocratic decree or utterance; orderhis word must be obeyed
a watchword or slogan, as of a political partythe word now is «freedom»
computing a set of bits used to store, transmit, or operate upon an item of information in a computer, such as a program instruction
as good as one’s word doing what one has undertaken or promised to do
at a word at once
by word of mouth orally rather than by written means
in a word briefly or in short
my word!
- an exclamation of surprise, annoyance, etc
- Australian an exclamation of agreement
of one’s word given to or noted for keeping one’s promisesI am a man of my word
put in a word for or put in a good word for to make favourable mention of (someone); recommend
take someone at his word or take someone at her word to assume that someone means, or will do, what he or she sayswhen he told her to go, she took him at his word and left
take someone’s word for it to accept or believe what someone says
the last word
- the closing remark of a conversation or argument, esp a remark that supposedly settles an issue
- the latest or most fashionable design, make, or modelthe last word in bikinis
- the finest example (of some quality, condition, etc)the last word in luxury
the word the proper or most fitting expressioncold is not the word for it, it’s freezing!
upon my word!
- archaic on my honour
- an exclamation of surprise, annoyance, etc
word for word
- (of a report, transcription, etc) using exactly the same words as those employed in the situation being reported; verbatim
- translated by substituting each word in the new text for each corresponding word in the original rather than by general sense
word of honour a promise; oath
(modifier) of, relating to, or consisting of wordsa word list
verb
(tr) to state in words, usually specially selected ones; phrase
(tr often foll by up) Australian informal to inform or advise (a person)
Word Origin for word
Old English word; related to Old High German wort, Old Norse orth, Gothic waurd, Latin verbum, Sanskrit vratá command
British Dictionary definitions for word (2 of 3)
noun the Word
Christianity the 2nd person of the Trinity
Scripture, the Bible, or the Gospels as embodying or representing divine revelationOften called: the Word of God
Word Origin for Word
translation of Greek logos, as in John 1:1
British Dictionary definitions for word (3 of 3)
n combining form
(preceded by the and an initial letter) a euphemistic way of referring to a word by its first letter because it is considered to be in some way unmentionable by the userthe C-word, meaning cancer
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with word
In addition to the idioms beginning with word
- word for word
- word of honor
- word of mouth, by
- words fail me
- words of one syllable, in
- words stick in one’s throat
- words to that effect
- word to the wise, a
also see:
- actions speak louder than words
- at a loss (for words)
- at a word
- break one’s word
- eat one’s words
- famous last words
- fighting words
- four-letter word
- from the word go
- get a word in edgewise
- give the word
- go back on (one’s word)
- good as one’s word
- hang on someone’s words
- have a word with
- have words with
- in brief (a word)
- in other words
- in so many words
- keep one’s word
- last word
- leave word
- man of his word
- mark my words
- mince matters (words)
- mum’s the word
- not breathe a word
- not open one’s mouth (utter a word)
- of few words
- picture is worth a thousand words
- play on words
- put in a good word
- put into words
- put words in someone’s mouth
- swallow one’s words
- take someone at his or her word
- take the words out of someone’s mouth
- true to (one’s word)
- weasel word
- weigh one’s words
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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