Navigating

the
Dictionary
Lecture 2
Types of dictionaries in relation to coverage

GENERAL SPECIALIZED
DICTIONARIES DICTIONARIES
General
Dictionaries
These are normal
dictionaries that give you
information about the
most common words in
English
 Special groups (e.g., advanced learner’s,
college students, children)

Special fields or professions (e.g., medical,

literary, Islamic, etc.)
Specialized
Dictionaries One area of language (e.g., idioms,
collocations, synonyms, etc.)

Special organization (e.g., a thesaurus

which lists words with similar meanings
together)
 Monolingual (all entries
come in one language)
Types of
dictionaries Bilingual (each entry has a
translation of words in
in relation another language)

to language Multilingual (each entry

has translations of words in
two or more languages)
Abridged Dictionaries
The dictionaries sold in most
book stores are shortened
versions of a complete
dictionary and are called
abridged dictionaries because
some of the original has been
left out.
Unabridged Dictionaries
Any book, or set of books,
which is complete as it was
written is called
unabridged because no
part of the original has
been left out.
 • one
• two
• four
Arrange in
• six
Alphabetical • eight
Order • nine
• second
• last
 • colour
• red
Arrange in • yellow
Alphabetical • green
Order • orange
• white
• blue
 • pad
• pat
Arrange in • pass
Alphabetical • pan
Order • pain
• page
• paper
 What is a
guide word?

A word printed at the top of a

page indicating the first or last
word entry on that page.
Where is the word?
Find the page number as quickly as you can:
• bench
• courage
• force
• profile
• squeal
• wisp
 What
information can
be found in a
learner’s
dictionary?
What are the
abbreviations
used in your
dictionary?
 To save space in the entry.
Why are
abbreviations
used in It is not necessary to
dictionaries? remember them at first, as
you can easily look them up
when you need them.
Find these words in the dictionary and write
down the abbreviations used in the entry:
Headword Abbreviations Explanation
e.g. applause [U] uncountable noun
dribble
beneath
judo
slowly
ounce
man
 What are
the symbols
used in
your
dictionary?
Cross-references
Find these headwords in your dictionary &
write down the cross-references given

Headword Cross-reference

covert

predecessor

rid

quantitative

disability
 What is an entry?

Entry = headword + information

 What is an entry?

An entry contains
An entry consists of a information about the
headword and all the headword in four general
information about that areas of language:
headword. writing, speaking,
grammar, & meaning.
What is a headword?
What is a headword?
 What is a
headword?
A headword is the word you
look up in a dictionary. It is
the name given to each of
the words listed
alphabetically through the
dictionary.
 Headwords are in blue
so they
Headwords
stand out from the rest
of the text
 pronunciation
headword part of speech

‘How to use example sentence

this
dictionary’ definition
6 ..…………………

section: cross-reference
• Label the different parts of the entry above
cross-reference
 Finding the right part of speech

In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary the

first line of each entry lists all the possible parts
of speech for a particular word.
Then each part of speech has its own section.
 Look at these entries and write down what
parts of speech these words can be.
• bridge
• fool
• green
• prior
• extra
• so
What part of speech can these words be?
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
coat
drink
flat
head
junior
slow
 Adjective Noun
wide
What are lazy

the noun helpful

luxurious
forms for gentle
these persuasive

adjectives? easy
compulsive
expensive
 Noun Adjective
proficiency
What are
patience
the obedience
adjective leniency

forms of wisdom
rarity
these stupidity
nouns? majesty
ferocity