vade mecum

noun

va·de me·cum | \ ˌvā-dē-ˈmē-kəm ,

ˌvä-dē-ˈmā-

\

plural vade mecums

Definition of vade mecum

1 : a book for ready reference : manual

2 : something regularly carried about by a person

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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.

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Dictionary Entries near vade mecum

vade retro me, Satana

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The first known use of vade mecum was in 1629

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