Exact historical dictionary sense
Context in Webster's 1913 dictionary
The 1913 record labels context as noun. Its source-bounded etymology and selected historical definition appear below.
WEBSTER 1913noun
Context
[L. contextus; cf. F. contexte .]
Cross-verified historical senseHeadwordcontext
Part of speechnoun
Historical etymology[L. contextus; cf. F. contexte .]
Selected historical definitionThe part or parts of something written or printed, as of Scripture, which precede or follow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning.
Signed record IDwebster1913-context-noun-6c1e6c93264e
Source locatorCIDE.C, paragraph 16238; Gutenberg eBook 661
Quick answer
In Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), "context" is labeled noun. Its etymology is recorded as: "[L. contextus; cf. F. contexte .]" The selected historical definition says: "The part or parts of something written or printed, as of Scripture, which precede or follow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning."