Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. A useful thing that one constantly carries about.
- n. A book, such as a guidebook, for ready reference.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A referential book such as a handbook or manual.
- n. A useful object, constantly carried on one’s person.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- A book or other thing that a person carries with him as a constant companion; a manual; a handbook.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A book or other thing that a person carries with him as a constant companion; a pocket-companion; a manual; a handbook.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location
Etymologies
Latin vāde mēcum, go with me : vāde, sing. imperative of vādere, to go + mē : ablative sing. of egō, I + cum, with.
(American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)From the Latin vāde ("go!, walk!"), the second-person singular present active imperative of vādō ("I go, I walk") + mēcum ("with me"), literally meaning "go with me!". (Wiktionary)
Examples
-
Their teachings and monitions have been the political vade mecum of my life.
Recollections and reflections : an auto of half a century and more,
-
William Dean Howells devoted two long reviews to it, and overnight the book became the vade mecum of the intelligentsia of the day: as an eminent sociologist told Veblen, “It fluttered the dovecotes of the East.”
jmjarmstrong commented on the word vade mecum
JM asks the question "Does facebook qualify as a vade mecum?"
February 5, 2009
mechanolatry commented on the word vade mecum
Latin -- go with me
1. A referential book such as a handbook or manual.
2. A useful object, constantly carried on one’s person.
January 29, 2009
quotato commented on the word vade mecum
Latin "Go With Me"---a pocket handbook=vade mecum
December 7, 2007