as in title
either one of the words that are at the top of a page in a dictionary or similar book and that show the first and last words on the page
It is easiest to use the guide words to find the page for the word you are looking up.
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Recent Examples of guide word
The Standing Rock movement’s guiding words, Mni Wiconi (water is life) meant more than clean water advocacy.
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Natasha Lennard, Esquire, 19 Sep. 2017
Natasha Lennard, Esquire, 19 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Guide word.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guide%20word. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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