world

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The earth, especially together with the life it supports.
• noun The universe.
• noun Humankind considered as social beings; human society.
• noun People as a whole; the public.
• noun A specified part of the earth.
• noun A part of the earth and its inhabitants as known at a given period in history.
• noun A realm or domain.
• noun A sphere of human activity or interest.
• noun A class or group of people with common characteristics or pursuits.
• noun A particular way of life.
• noun All that relates to or affects the life of a person.
• noun Secular life and its concerns.
• noun Human existence; life.
• noun A state of existence.
• noun A large amount; much.
• noun A celestial body such as a planet.
• adjective Of or relating to the world.
• adjective Involving or extending throughout the entire world.
• idiom (for all the world) In all respects; precisely.
• idiom (in the world) Used as an intensive.
• idiom (out of this world) Extraordinary; superb.
• idiom (the world over) Throughout the world.
• idiom (world without end) Forever.

from The Century Dictionary.

• To introduce into the world; give birth to.
• noun An age of man; a generation.
• noun Any state or sphere of existence; any wide scene of life or action: as, a future world; the world to come.
• noun The system of created things; all created existences; the whole creation; the created universe: a use dating from the time when the earth was supposed to be the center and sum of everything.
• noun The inhabitants of the earth and their concerns or interests; the human race; humanity; mankind: also, a certain section, division, or class of men considered as a separate or independent whole; a number or body of people united by a common faith, cause, aim, object, pursuit, or the like: as, the religious world; the Christian world; the heathen world; the political, literary, or scientific world; the world of letters.
• noun The earth and all created things upon it; the terraqueous globe.
• noun That which pertains to the earth or to this present state of existence merely; secular affairs or interests; the concerns of this life, as opposed to those of the future life.
• noun A particular part of the globe; a large portion or division of the globe: as, the Old World (the eastern hemisphere); the New World (the western hemisphere); the Roman world.
• noun Public life; life in society; intercourse with one's fellows.
• noun Any celestial orb or planetary body, especially considered as peopled, and as the scene of interests kindred to those of mankind.
• noun The part of mankind that is devoted to the affairs of this life or interested in secular affairs; those concerned especially for the interests and pleasures of the present state of existence; the unregenerate or ungodly part of humanity.
• noun The ways and manners of men; the practices of life; the habits, customs, and usages of society; social life in its various aspects.
• noun A course of life; a career.
• noun The current of events, especially as affecting the individual; circumstances or affairs, particularly those closely relating to one's self.
• noun Any system of more or less complexity or development, characterized by harmony, order, or completeness; anything forming an organic whole; a microcosm.
• noun Sphere; domain; province; region; realm: as, the world of dreams; the world of art.
• noun A great number or quantity: as, a world of people; a world of words; a world of meaning. Compare a world, below.
• noun Used in emphatic phrases expressing wonder, astonishment, perplexity, etc.: as, what in the world am I to do? how in all the world did you get there?
• noun The sum of what the world contains; everything: as, she is all the world to me. Compare the whole world, below.
• noun Hence the expression woman of the world (that is, a married woman), used by Audrey in “As you Like it.”
• noun Synonyms Globe, etc. See earth.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The earth and the surrounding heavens; the creation; the system of created things; existent creation; the universe.
• noun Any planet or heavenly body, especially when considered as inhabited, and as the scene of interests analogous with human interests.