What does the word "world" mean in the Buddhist context? The Hemawatha Sutta Is a (very old)? sutta in &quot;Sutha Nipatha&quot; of KN, Just after the first sermon of &quot;Dammachakka&quot;. 'Hemawata' (General of yakka's ) is also a listener of that. He give the news about Buddha to his friend 'sathagira' and both came to meet load. That Dialog is in this sutta. some extract of it as follows

...
The Great One like a lion who lives alone,
among all pleasures he’s expectation-free,
let us draw near that we may ask of him
how to escape from the snarefulness of death.
O proclaimer of the Dharma, expounding it too,
one who’s beyond all dharmas’ Further Shore,
all fear and hatred you’ve utterly overcome
both of us then of Gotama inquire—
Hemavata
What co-arises with the world?
With what’s it make acquaintance?
The world grasps after what indeed?
Why’s the world afflicted?
Buddha
Six with the world do co-arise,
with six becomes acquainted,
the world’s attached to six indeed,
so, world’s by six afflicted.

The word 'world' is used in this verses and throughout the thipitaka.
What is the meaning of this word in this context?
In the quote you have provided, the “world” is the six senses. The Buddha often used the word “world” in a metaphorical sense. Here are some Suttas where "world" is used in a similar way:

SN 35.82:


  Then a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "'The world, the world' it is said. In what respect does the word 'world' apply?
  "Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the 'world.' Now what disintegrates? The eye disintegrates. Forms disintegrate. Consciousness at the eye disintegrates. Contact at the eye disintegrates. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too disintegrates. 
  
  (repeat for ear, nose, tongue, body and mind-sense)


SN 12.44:


  Dwelling at Savatthi. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: "I will teach you the origination of the world &amp; the ending of the world. Listen &amp; pay close attention. I will speak."
  
  "As you say, lord," the monks responded to the Blessed One.
  
  The Blessed One said: "And what is the origination of the world? Dependent on the eye &amp; forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging &amp; death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &amp; despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.
  
  (repeat for ear, nose, tongue, body and mind-sense)