write

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   communicate or express by writing

   Please write to me every week

2. 2
   verb

   the act of composing a text

   I am writing my friend a text message.

3. 3
   verb

   create code, write a computer program

   They write code faster than anybody else.

4. 4
   verb

   have (one's written work) issued for publication

   How many books did Georges Simenon write?

5. 5
   verb

   To form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate.

   The pupil wrote his name on the paper.

6. 6
   verb

   To be the author of (a book, article, poem, etc.).

   My uncle writes newspaper articles for The Herald.

7. 7
   verb

   To compose and send written information (to).

   Please write to me when you get there.

8. 8
   verb

   To compose and send (written information or a written message, e.g. a letter) to.

   Please write me a letter. Please write a letter to me.

Etymology

From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”). Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, tear”), Dutch wrijten (“to argue, quarrel”), Middle Low German wrîten (“to scratch, draw, write”) (> Low German wrieten, rieten (“to tear, split”)), German reißen (“to tear, rip”), Norwegian rita (“to rough-sketch, carve, write”), Swedish rita (“to draw, design, delineate, model”), Icelandic rita (“to cut, scratch, write”), German ritzen (“to carve, sc…