What is a word?

There is no such thing as a word in reality. In fact, one could argue that everything about words contradicts how reality is supposed to function. <br><br>Words are arbitrary, yet objective. <br><br>Words are impermanent, yet words are forever. <br><br>Words are meaningless, yet words are meaningful.<br><br>Words are non-physical, yet words have a physical utterance. <br><br>The word "dog" isn't a dog, the word "dog" isn't a fucked up asshole border collie, the word "dog" isn't a dog. There is no such thing as the word "dog". In fact, there is no such thing as any word. Yet, we can communicate, we can think, and we can express our thoughts, feelings, and opinions. So what is a word?