vade mecum

[vey-dee mee-kuh m, vah-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vade mecum ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural va·de me·cums.

something a person carries about for frequent or regular use.

a book for ready reference; manual; handbook.

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Origin of vade mecum

First recorded in 1620–30, vade mecum is from the Latin word vāde mēcum literally, go with me

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vade mecum

This is a metaphor, borrowed partly from the grazier's vocabulary, and partly from the arithmetician's vade-mecum.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)|Maria Edgeworth
The bow at that time was his vade-mecum; he never left it home.
Hunting with the Bow and Arrow|Saxton Pope
The passage in The Rhetorician's Vade-mecum is the chief authority for their style.
The Works of Lucian of Samosata, v. 4|Lucian of Samosata
This excellent handbook will prove a perfect Vade-mecum to those engaged in the practical work of Mining and Metallurgy.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer

It was her vade-mecum—good against rain, or sun, or mad bulls, or troublesome dogs.
Mount Royal, Volume 1 of 3|Mary Elizabeth Braddon

British Dictionary definitions for vade mecum

vade mecum

noun

a handbook or other aid carried on the person for immediate use when needed

Word Origin for vade mecum

C17: from Latin, literally: go with me

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for vade mecum

vade mecum

"a manual," 1620s, Latin, literally "go with me."

vade mecum

noun, plural va·de me·cums.

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Origin of vade mecum

Examples from the Web for vade mecum

vade mecum

noun

Word Origin for vade mecum

vade mecum