[ZenGum]

Definitely by word, although they tried by letter and even by syllable in the early days.

Aussies and some Brits will know of "Bodyline", a cricket strategy used by bastard pommies against the brilliant Bradman and his team, whereby the ball was bowled short and on the line of the body so it would bounce up and hit the batsman on the head.
It was originally called "line of the body" bowling until a journalist was thrippence short when sending a telegram. He changed it to bodyline and then had to argue that it wasn't body line. History was made.