Elements of Dictionary

ELEMENTS OF A DICTIONARY
1. Front Matter:
includes a guide to the use of the dictionary. The guidedescribes every part of the
dictionary article: entry word,syllabication, pronunciation, inflected forms,
various kinds oflabels, cross-references, variants, etymology, synonyms andusage
notes. The purpose of the guide is to describe as clearly as possible all kinds of
information included in the dictionary,show the reader how to interpret the data
given and providesclues for locating as quickly as possible particular items
ofinformation. A sample page from the A-Z section is often printed with various
parts of the entries bracketed and linked tocaptions that identify each part and
refer to sections of the guidewhere the items are discussed.
Desk dictionaries include a history of the Englishlanguage, pronunciation, usage,
and regional varieties ofEnglish, etymology, the influence of linguistics on
lexicography,computer analysis of language, pronunciation, Americanismsand Canadian
English.
2. Back Matter:
Contains various linguistic aids such as: lists of irregularverbs, spelling guides,
tables of ordinal and cardinal numbers,tables of weights and measures and
punctuation guides. Othersinclude sections listing biographical and geographical
names,different practical guides to writing, (pronunciation, grammar,style), forms
of address, signs and symbols, lists ofabbreviations, foreign words and phrases,
and given names.
3. Headword:
It is the word you look up in the dictionary. Headwordsare the words listed
alphabetically throughout the dictionary.
4. Entries:
Consist of a headword and all the information about theheadword.
o Types of entries:
There are 2 kinds of entries: mainentry and sub entry.
o Alphabetization of entries:
Dictionaries alphabetize letter by letter rather than word by word. For example:
power powerful power of attorney
o Idioms:
Idioms are listed in several places. They are usually runin at the end of the entry
for one of the key words of the phrase. Most dictionaries list words under the
first word, but exceptions are common.
o The entry/subentry system is used in scientific andtechnical dictionaries in

which 50% of the total entriesare phrasal entries. Phrasal entries are
alphabetizedunder the governing noun and then alphabetizing(usually latter by
letter) within the subentry field. Forexample:
blood, blood fluke, blood bank, blood poisoning, blood clot, blood pressure, blood
count, blood test
Some prepositions, connectives, or articles are ignored inletter-by-letter
alphabetization.
o Chemical terms use the entry/subentry method ofalphabetization. They are

alphabetized letter-by-letter butappear as subentries if listed as 2 words. methyl
cellulose would appear as a subentry under methyl not under cellulose, but
methylcellulose would appear in its ownalphabetic place as a main entry.
o The infinitive form is traditionally used for both theentry heading and the
translation of verbs. Therefore, it isimportant to list inflected forms as
headwords withcross-references to the infinitive form.
o Derivatives are usually run on at the end of the entry.They are defined
separately if they have peculiar senses.
o Verbal idioms are listed in several places. They areusually 'run in' at the end
of the entry for one of the keywords of the phrase. Most dictionaries list idioms
underthe first word, but exceptions are common.
EXAMPLES:-
au-tumn /O:t m/ AmE also fall--- n [R;C;(U)] the season between summer and winter
when leaves turn gold and fruits become ripe
fast-ness /fA:stn s 'fa st-/ n 1 [C] a safe place which is hard to reach (esp. in
the phr. a mountain fastness) 2 [U] the quality of being firm or fixed: the
fastness of a colour /of his hold on the handle USAGE There is no noun formed from
fast when it means quick. Use instead speed or quickness.
fat' /f t/ adj [Wa1]

1(of creatures and their bodies) having (too) much fat: fat cattle / a fat baby
/you'll get even fatter if you eat all those potatoes
2 (of meat) containing a lot of fat
3 thick and well-filled: a fat book / (fig.) a fat bank account
4 (esp. of land) producing plentiful crops: the fatfarms in the valley
5 a fat lot of sl no; not any: A fat lot of good /of use that is!
fit-ting1 /'fiti / adj fml right for the purpose or occasion; suitable: It is
fitting that we should remember him on his birthday--- opposite unfitting
fox1 /f ks faks/ n 1 [C] (fem. vixen) --- a any of several types of small doglike
flesh-eating wild animal with a bushy tail, esp. b a type of European animal with
reddish fur, preserved in Britain to be hunted and often said to have a clever and
deceiving nature
GCE abbrev. For: (in Britain) General Certificate of Education; an examination in

one of many subjects set by various universities and taken by pupils aged 15 or
over
go on2 v prep [T1 no pass.] to use as a reason, proof, or base for further action:
We were just going on what you yourself had said.
if1 /If/ conj 1 (not usu. followed by the future tense ) supposing that; on
condition that: "we can send you a map if you wish" (SEU S.)
ep-o-ppe (ep' pe') n. [Fr. epoppe < Gk. epopaiia < epopoios, epic poet : epos ,
epic + poiein , to make ] 1. epic poetry, esp. as a literary genre. 2. An epic
poem.
ep-os (epos) n. [Lat. < Gk.]

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ELEMENTS OF A DICTIONARY

o The entry/subentry system is used in scientific andtechnical dictionaries in

o Chemical terms use the entry/subentry method ofalphabetization. They are

fat' /f t/ adj [Wa1]

GCE abbrev. For: (in Britain) General Certificate of Education; an examination in

ep-os (epos) n. [Lat. < Gk.]

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