Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also that’s word!) an excl. of approval, admiration, agreement etc.

1986		Eble Campus Sl. Mar.
1987		Newcleus ‘Huxtable House Party’ 🎵 I tawt I taw a puddy-cat. Word.
1991		Eble Campus Sl. Fall 6: word booty – expression of agreement, affirmation.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 51: That’s Word The absolute truth. That’s word refers to truthfulness in speech or writing.
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 44: Word! [...] Way cool! One to ten, that be a eight. Believe!
2000		P. Beatty Tuff 19: ‘No more Brooklyn Rambo niggers in camouflage pants.’ ‘Word. Fuck Brooklyn.’ [Ibid.] 166: ‘All right.’ ‘Word life, kid.’ ‘My boy.’.
2016		C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2016 11: WORD — O.K. X: ‘I’ll see you at four’ Y: ‘Word’.

2. an expression of greeting or farewell.

1988		Eble Campus Sl. Oct.
1997–2000		Da Bomb 🌐 31: Word: [...] 2. A question asking ‘what’s new?’ Haven ’t seen you for awhile. Word?
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 word! Definition: 1. a greeting [...] Example: Word, nigga – what up on da West Side?

3. used to signify that one is having the final say in an argument.

1989		(con. 1982–6) T. Williams Cocaine Kids (1990) 86: But-but-but you know what? They don’t have a clue. Word.
1999		Guardian Guide 19–25 June 4: Compared to Eric, Vanilla Ice is James-Brown soulful – word!