DICTIONARY

   Why use a dictionary?

   1) to learn meanings of unfamiliar words

   2) to find correct spellings

   3) to find out how to correctly use a word – as what part of speech

   4) to find the pronunciation for a word

   5) to find the derivation of a word (the origins of the word )

   6) to find the correct spellings of derivatives (root words with

          suffixes or other regular endings )

    WORDS TO KNOW

   GUIDE WORDS ‑ two words listed at the   top of each dictionary page that

     signal the words alphabetically  listed on the page

   ENTRY WORDS ‑ in boldface type,  gives the spelling ( and is sometimes

     divided to show syllables

   PRONUNCIATION ‑ the symbols used to  show how to pronounce the word

     properly (the sounds the symbols  represent is shown in the pronunciation

     key ) ( when pronunciations are  labeled "for 1"  or  "for 2" that

     pronunciation should only be used for the  definition with that number) ( when two

     pronunciations for one word have an "or"  between them the pronunciations can be

     used interchangeably )

   DEFINITION ‑ gives the meanings of the word.  They are stated briefly and are numbered

     to separate each one.

   ILLUSTRATIVE SENTENCE ‑ ( or phrase )  sentence used to demonstrate how a word is used

   LABEL ‑ a descriptive word used to show how a  word is used  ( example ‑ OLD USE or ARCHAIC

     tells the reader the word is not commonly used in today's speech but a definition may

     be necessary because the word may be used in literature )

   SLANG ‑ a label used to tell the reader that  the definition is for a nonstandard use of the

     entry word

   IDIOM ‑ a phrase or saying in which a special use is made of a word

      example - raining cats and dogs

   DERIVATION ‑ the origin of the entry word –  where the word comes from (usually written

     at the end of the definition in brackets )

   ABBREVIATIONS ‑ ( of parts of speech) ‑ identify each use of a word by its function in a sentence

       ADJ.‑ adjective ‑ helps describe a noun –   gives a more exact meaning

       ADV.‑ adverb ‑ helps describe a verb by  giving a more exact meaning

       CONJ.‑ conjunction ‑ connects words,  phrases or clauses

       INTERJ.‑ interjection ‑ independent word which expresses strong feeling

       N.‑ noun ‑ name of a person, place or thing

       PREP.‑ preposition ‑ shows relationship between noun and some other word in the sentence

       PRON.‑ pronoun ‑ used in place of noun

       VB.‑ verb‑ indicates action or tells something about the subject

       PL.‑ plural ‑ form of a noun, adjective,  or verb which indicates that more than

              one person, place, or thing is being spoken about in the sentence