verbo-, verb-, verbi-

Grasp the subject, the words will follow.

Cato, the Elder.

Things not words; material fact or concrete action as opposed to mere talk.

The action of splitting (dividing) words.

When words are written, they remain; when they are spoken, they fly in the air.

Pardon my words.

Translation: "Under the word [title]."

A term used in cross references in dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, etc.

To translate verbally or word for word.

To exist: "He will be here later."

A word or group of words that express time while showing an action, a condition, or the fact that something exists.

Verbs have a major effect on syntax; that is, on the way words are put together and are related to one another in sentences. Because of this effect, verbs are generally divided into two main categories: action verbs and linking verbs.

The majority of verbs in English express action. They are used to tell what someone or something does, did, or will do. Linking verbs; on the other hand, are used to express a condition or the fact that something exists.

Linking verbs never express action. Instead, they link, or join, words in a sentence; such as, connecting a subject of a sentence with a word at or near the end of the sentence. The verb be, or to be, is the most common linking verb.

Linking verbs: Ms. Jones is our neighbor. The cake batter should be smooth. The cartons of milk are in the refrigerator. The keys were here yesterday.

The verb, around which the sentence is built, serves as the simple predicate. It shows action or state of being or condition.

A verb may consist of only one word: I rang the bell. (action). I am sure. (state of being or condition)

A verb may be a verb phrase, a group of words used as one verb: I should have brushed my hair. I have been ready for an hour.

1. Changing other parts of speech into active verb: "He likes to verb or turn nouns into verbs."

"She verbed several adjective into verbs."

"The teacher thought that verbing other parts of speech into verbs was an inaccurate use of the noun form of verb."

2. Using words as verbs; such as, nouns or adjectives.

Twisting nouns into verbs; such as, efforting, prioritize, clubbing, (nightclub cruising), gifted, elbowing, bottling, braking, bicycling, silencing, impacting, and incentivize.

Spoken words fly away, written words remain.

Also translated as: "Spoken words fly through the air, but written words endure" or "Get it down on paper."

1. Dealing in or with words, especially with mere words in contrast to things or realities: "The new job requires someone with strong verbal skills."
2. Using many words; talkative, verbose; ready to use words: "Sometimes she is just too verbal and never seems to know when to stop talking."
3. Interested in, attending to, the mere words of a literary composition: "His composition turned out to be full of clever verbal expressions."
4. Consisting or composed of words; also, of or pertaining to, manifested in, words: "They had a verbal agreement to start the project."
5. In diplomacy, a verbal note is an unsigned note or memorandum sent as a mere reminder of some matter not of immediate importance.
6. Verbal diarrhea, a tendency to talk too much; extreme verbosity.
7. Concerned with, affecting or involving, words only, without touching things or realities.
8. Finding expression in words only, without being manifested in action.
9. A reference to something that expressed or conveyed by speech instead of writing; stated or delivered by word of mouth; oral.

1. A statement, specifically a damaging admission, alleged to have been made by a suspected criminal and offered in evidence against him at a trial: "He admitted in his verbal to the arresting officer that he did break into the restaurant after it was closed and stole food."
2. A noun, or other part of speech, derived from a verb; for example, a form of a verb ending in "-ing" used as a noun: "Dancing" as in "she teaches dancing."

Nouns like "walking" and "sleeping," as well as adjectives like "bored" and "exhausted" are verbals.

• "Walking was difficult in this heat."
• "Sleeping was the only cure for his exhaustion."
• "He was told that exhausted was no excuse for driving off into the ditch."
• "Bored was one reason for going home before the end of the concert."

Agraphia (a mental inability to write properly) in which single letters can be written, but not words.