Word

Word can mean one of several things:

• A linguistic word—a unit of language that symbolizes or communicates a meaning, consisting of one or more morphemes.

• Microsoft Word, a word processor produced by Microsoft as part of its Office software suite.

• In automata theory of computer science, a word is a finite string of symbols.

• In the Christian religion, the Word of God, which is the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ. When used in this sense, "word" is a translation of the Greek logos which more broadly means reason, principle, standard, or logic. Word of God is also used to denote the Bible.

• In computing, a word is a small group of bits which are handled simultaneously by processors of a particular architecture. A word may represent an integer, an address, an instruction or any other data. In the world of IBM-compatible PCs, "word" has become largely synonymous with "16-bit integer", the size used by early x86 processors.

• In hip hop slang, an exclamation, often not spoken in exclamatory voice, indicating deep and complete agreement. This use originates from the Five Percenters' mantra that "Word is Bond"; an earlier form was word up. The use of the term "word" as a sign of agreement and solidarity has come into common use outside of hip hop circles.

See also: words