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Watchword vs Guideword - What's the difference?

watchword | guideword |

As nouns the difference between watchword and guideword

is that watchword is a prearranged reply to the challenge of a sentry or a guard; a password or signal by which friends can be known from enemies while guideword is a watchword; a word or phrase that serves as one's guide.

watchword

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • a prearranged reply to the challenge of a sentry or a guard; a password or signal by which friends can be known from enemies
  • a word used as a motto, as expressive of a principle or rule of action; a maxim, byword
  • * 1919 , :
  • Atrocities of the most vicious kind were justified by the watchwords : "This is war!" "Might is Right." "Necessity knows no law."
  • a rallying cry
  • See also

    * passphrase * password

    References

    *

    guideword

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A watchword; a word or phrase that serves as one's guide
  • * {{quote-journal, 1947, , , Wilson Library Bulletin, page=528 citation
  • , passage=Naturalness is perhaps the best guideword to keep in mind.}}
  • * {{quote-book, 1996, page=41, Christopher Fynsk, Language and relation: -- that there is language, pageurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=zlIkDo53pL8C&pg=PA41
  • , passage=Heidegger accompanies this meditation, however, with a second, more overtly "philosophical" or "thinking" reflection on the "guideword " Das Wesen der Sprache: -- die Sprache des Wesens ("The essence of language: -- the language of essence").}}
  • (publishing) A word that is printed at the top or bottom of the page in a reference work, in order to help readers find a specific entry
  • * {{quote-journal, 1936, , , Wilson Bulletin for Librarians, page=18 citation
  • , passage=Secondly, the teacher-librarian must know how to use books herself to find information — title page, table of contents, index, guidewords , etc.}}
  • (chiefly, business) Any of the words in a memo or email that define metadata regarding the message, such as sender, recipient, and subject
  • * {{quote-book, 2001, , The New Office Professional's Handbook, pageurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=35vDO9i2iLAC&pg=PA280, page=280
  • , passage=One purpose of a traditional memo or e-mail is to provide essential information quickly and easily, so there is no restriction, other than appearance or practicality, on the number or variety of guidewords you include.}}