What is the test for determining the meaning of a word?

The learned trial Judge held that he could not judicially assign any meaning to the words as, whatever they were, they were not ordinary English words. In his reasons for judgment he said among other things: It was suggested that as the alleged libel used the word "stole" the meaning of which is clear, that is sufficient. But the word "stole" is followed by "anof" and I do not know what "stole anof" means. If the meaning of "anof" were shown it might appear that no crime was charged at all * * Some of the words in question here are not ordinary English words; the plaintiff by the innuendo specified the defamatory sense in which he claimed the words were understood, but has given no evidence to show they were so understood, and so failed to establish a cause of action. Major v. McGregor (1903) 60 O.L.R. 528. The action is dismissed with costs.