Full Idea
A definition endows a word with complete determinacy of meaning relative to other words. But we could determine the meaning of a new word absolutely by specifying contexts which are to be true and contexts which are to be false.
Gist of Idea
Definition by words is determinate but relative; fixing contexts could make it absolute
Source
Willard Quine (Truth by Convention [1935], p.89)
Book Reference
Quine,Willard: 'Ways of Paradox and other essays' [Harvard 1976], p.89
A Reaction
This is the beginning of Quine's distinction between the interior of 'the web' and its edges. The attack on the analytic/synthetic distinction will break down the boundary between the two. Surprising to find 'absolute' anywhere in Quine.