SINCE 1828

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vade mecum

noun va·de me·cum \ ˌvā-dē-ˈmē-kəm , ˌvä-dē-ˈmā- \

Definition of vade mecum

plural vade mecums

1 : a book for ready reference : manual

2 : something regularly carried about by a person

vade mecum was our Word of the Day on 03/12/2017. Hear the podcast!

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Recent Examples of vade mecum from the Web

By the time the last of its five massive volumes appeared, in 1959, the Sowerby catalog had become the vade mecum of Jefferson scholarship.

— jorge dionis, Town & Country, "Turn Up the Volumes," 6 Dec. 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vade mecum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Brush Up on Your Latin With vade mecum

Vade mecum is Latin for go with me (it derives from the Latin verb vadere, meaning "to go.") In English, "vade mecum" has been used (since at least 1629) of manuals or guidebooks sufficiently compact to be carried in a deep pocket. But from the beginning, it has also been used for such constant companions as gold, medications, and memorized gems of wisdom.

Origin and Etymology of vade mecum

borrowed from Latin, "go with me"

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First Known Use: 1629

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WORD OF THE DAY

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to speak or write verbosely and windily

BROWSE DICTIONARY

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vade

vade mecum

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Editor's Note: Brush Up on Your Latin With vade mecum