The Dictionary

According to the Oxford English dictionary, it is a book dealing with the

individual words of a language (or certain specified class of them) so as to set
forth their orthography, pronunciation, signification and use, their synonyms,
derivation and history, or at least some of these facts. For convenience of
reference the words are arranged in some stated order, now in most
languages, alphabetical.

For easier understanding, a dictionary will give you the following information
about a word:
How to spell the word and its special plural form
Whether or not the word is capitalized or abbreviated
How to break the word into syllables
How to pronounce the word
The part of speech of a word
Different meanings that the word has, as well as synonyms (same
meaning) and antonyms (opposite meaning)
A sentence or expression with the word used correctly
The meanings of important prefixes and suffixes
The special uses of the word
The history of the word
Other words derived from the main word
There are two kinds of dictionaries.

I.

II.

General Dictionaries
A. School Dictionaries only have common words
and give easy-to-understand definitions
B. College Dictionaries are used in homes, schools,
and universities and answer most questions about
spellings and definitions
C. Unabridged Dictionaries have several volumes,
are generally located in libraries, and include in
depth definitions and word histories
Specialized Dictionaries list words used in particular
fields
Examples: Dictionary of Sports Idioms, Dictionary of
Italian Literature, Dictionary of Medical Folklore

There are other types of dictionaries that don't fit neatly in the above
distinction, for instance bilingual (translation) dictionaries, dictionaries of
synonyms (thesauri), or rhyming dictionaries. The word dictionary (unqualified) is
usually understood to refer to a monolingual general-purpose dictionary.

Parts of a Dictionary may vary but usually:

1. FRONT HALF OF A DICTIONARY

The first half of the dictionary will always include sections that will guide
you on how to use a dictionary.
Foreword a usually short piece of writing placed at the beginning of a
book
Title page contains the dictionary title, the publishing company and
location
Copyright page usually printed in the back of the title page, gives the
publication and/or copyright date.
Table of Contents some dictionaries may vary when it comes to the
table of contents. Since every dictionary always arranges the words in
alphabetical order, they do not take not of their page numbers. The
table of contents lists the main topics covered to help you decide
whether the book has the information you are seeking.
Editorial and Production Staff
Preface written by the author or an expert in the same field which
explains the purpose of the book or the authors outlook on the subject
Elements of the Dictionary
Explanatory Notes
Abbreviations Used in this Dictionary
Pronunciation Guide
2. MAIN BODY OF A DICTIONARY
The main body of the dictionary will compromise all the words that the
particular dictionary specializes in. The words are always listed alphabetically and
the alphabet will be printed at the top of each page to help you find the word you
are looking for.
3. BACK HALF OF A DICTIONARY
After the main body, there will be extra sections that can help understand the
language further.
Abbreviations
Biographical Names

Geographic Names
Foreign Words and Phrases
A Concise Guide to Style
Forms of Address
Table of Measurements
Periodic Table of Elements
Signs and Symbols
Punctuations Marks and Symbols
A Guide to Punctuation and Use of Capitals
Plurals of Nouns
Mathematical Symbols
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Here is a guide on how to understand dictionary entries so we will be able to

use the dictionary properly:

A. The Entry Word:

This shows if the word you searched for can be divided. (e.g.: glad cant be
divided but gladder and gladdest can be) This is also tells if a compound word
should be written as one word, hyphenated or as two words.
B. Pronunciation:
The correct way to say the word is shown immediately after the entry word.
C. Inflected Forms:
Plural forms, adjective forms, forms of verbs in other tenses are included
here.
D. Parts of Speech:
Abbreviations in italics indicate what the part of speech of the entry word is.
E. Etymology:
This is where the history of the word is shown.
F. Definitions:
Each entry is numbered if it has more than one meaning. Sentence examples
are also included to be clearer.
G. Derived Words:

A definition may end with a variation of the entry word, preceded by a dash
then the parts of speech.
H. Synonyms:
Many entries list words with similar meanings with examples so youll know
when to use it. Understanding will help from avoiding mistakes and several
dictionaries include antonyms.
I. Homographs:
Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and histories.
Their entries are listed separately and are followed by numbers.
J. Usage Information:
Several entries that contain information on how words are used in different
contexts.