The Dictionary
1 lrypes and Contents
Types of Dictionaries Different types
Dictionary Entry A dictionary entry
of dictionaries provide different kinds of information. You should choose a dictionary
based on the kind of information that you
need. The chart below explains the differences
among three types of dictionaries; abridged,
specialized, and unabridged. It also provides
an example of each type of dictionary.
gives more than just the meaning of a
word. A sample entry from an abridged
dictionary appears on the next page. The
callout explanations that follow the entry
explain what kinds of information an entry
provides.
Type
Example
An abridged dictionary is the most common type of
dictionary. The word abridged means "shortened" or
"condensed." An abridged dictionary contains most
of the words you are likely to use or encounter in your
writing or reading.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate
A specialized dictionary defines words or terms that
are used in a particular profession, field, or area
Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Dictionary, Tenth Edition
of interest.
An unabridged dictionary contains nearly all the
words in use in a language.
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The Dictionary
Webster's Third New
International Dictionary
res. caperl(e sk-ÿp" i-)][]l-caped',-cap'inglrÿLMEappa,
cloak(i.e.,
leave
one's cloak
get
escapen
< NormFr
escapel;
var. ofbehind)ÿ
eschaper[1to
< VLJ
*excappare < L ex; out of (see Ex-I) +
free; get away; get out; break loose, as from a prison 2 to avoid an illness, accident, pain, etc.
! [two were injured, but he escaped]13 to flow, drain, or leak away/gas escaping from a pipe] 4 to
slip away; disappÿr/the image escaped from her memoryÿgrow ÿifdÿ a
condition of cultivation --vt. 1 to get away fi'om; flee from [to escape pursuers] 2 to manage to
keep away from; avoid !to escape punishment] 3 to come from involuntarily or unintentionally
[a scream escaped from her lips] 4 to slip away from; be missed, unperceived, or forgotten by/his
name escapes me]--n. [ME escap] 1 an act or instance of escapingÿthe state of having escaped
3 a means or way of escape 4 an outward flow or leakage 5 a temporary mental release from real-
it,//movies are her escape] 6 []a garden plant growing wild --adj. 1 giving temporary mental
release from reality 2 a) making escape possible [an escape hatch] b) giving a basis for evading or
circumventing a claim, responsibilty, etc. [an escape clause]l--es.cap'alble adj. --es.cap'ler n.]
SgN.--escapeo as compared here, implies a getting out of, a keeping away from, or simply a remammg unaffected by an impending or present dangel; evil, confinement, etc. !to escape death, criticism, etc.]; to avoid is
to make a conscious effort to keep clear of something undesirable or harmful/to re,old crowds during a flu
epidemic]; to evade is to escape or avoid by artifice, cunning, adroitness, etc./to evadepursuit, one's duty,
nary entry
ing of a
abridged
t page. The
w the entry
ltion an entry
etc.]; to elude is to escape the grasp of someone or something by artful or slippery dodges or because of a
baffling quality !the criminal eluded the police, the meaning eluded him]
1. Entry word
The entry word shows the
correct spelling of a word. An alternate
spelling may also be shown. The entry
word shows how the word should be
divided into syllables, and it may show
whether the word should be capitalized.
2. Pronunciation The pronunciation of
a word is shown using accent marks,
r's Collegiate
Edition
cal Dictionary
New
ictionary
phonetic symbols, and diacritical marks.
Accent marks show stress. Each phonetic
symbol represents a specific sound.
Diacritical marks are symbols placed
above letters to show how they sound.
3. Part-of-speech labels These labels are
usually abbreviated and show how the
entry word should be used in a sentence. Some words may be used as more
than one part of speech.
4. Other forms A dictionary may show
spellings of plural forms of nouns, tenses
of verbs, or the comparative forms of
adjectives and adverbs.
5. Etymology The etymology tells how
a word (or its parts) entered the English
language. The etymology also shows
how the word has changed over time.
6. Examples A dictionary may demonstrate how a word may be used by giving
phrases or sentences containing that word.
7. Definitions If there is more than one
meaning for a word, the definitions are
separated by numbers or letters.
8. Special usage labels These labels identify the fields in which a word has a special meaning, such as Bot. (botany), or
how it is used in special ways, such as
Slang or Rare.
9. Related word forms These are other
forms of the entry word, such as another
form of the word that is created by
adding suffixes or prefixes, or a common
phrase in which the entry word appears.
10. Synonyms and antonyms Words that
are similar in meaning are synonyms.
Words that are opposite in meaning are
antonyms. Dictionaries may list syn-
onyms and antonyms at the end of
some word entries.
Types
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