Using a Dictionary
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Objectives

By the time you finish this you unit, you should:
  • know how to read a dictionary entry;
  • know the meanings of the terms below.

Terms

Resources

The following Internet and print sources can help you with the concepts covered in this unit:

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is available online.

Merriam-Webster OnLine features an online dictionary and a "Word of the Day," which often contains fascinating etymological notes.

Updated August 16, 2001
© Mark Canada, 2001
mark.canada@uncp.edu

Introduction

A good dictionary and a knowledge of how to use it are essential if you want to get the most out of what you read. After all, with the exception of graphic items such as charts and diagrams, everything that you have to learn from a text book comes in the form of words. If you don't know what those words mean, you won't learn much from the text book.  Thus, one of the first things you should do when you get to college is buy a good hardback college dictionary, which is the best guide to words' spellings, pronunciations, meanings, and histories. While small paperbacks are cheaper and easier to carry, they generally have fewer entries, fewer and less detailed definitions, and less information about usage and etymology. If you like to carry a dictionary with you, buy a small paperback, but make sure you have a hardback edition on the desk where you work. If you study in the library, pick up one of the dictionaries in the reference area or know where to find one on a stand somewhere. My favorite hardback college dictionary is The American Heritage College Dictionary, which contains excellent definitions, usage notes, and etymologies, all printed in an easy-to-read format.

Become familiar with the format of your dictionary. While some parts of a dictionary entry, such as spelling and definitions, are generally self-explanatory, others require you to know something about how the lexicographers, or dictionary makers, put their information together. For example, you need to be able to decipher the symbols used to indicate the word's pronunciation and make sense of abbreviations such as "tr." and "OE." After you buy a dictionary, take a few minutes to skim the introductory material, which contains valuable information about abbreviations, format for listing entries, system for indicating pronunciation, and much more.

Reading a Dictionary Entry

When you are reading, look up unfamiliar words and study their pronunciations, meanings, uses, and histories. I suggest the following steps:
  1. Using the pronunciation provided, say the word aloud. Refer to the dictionary's pronunciation key, usually located at the bottom of the page or a facing page, to find out what the symbols mean. If the word has more than one syllable, make sure you know which syllable to stress when you pronounce the word; that is, know which syllable should be pronounced with more force or volume. In the word "volume," for example, the first syllable should be stressed. This step is important because you will want to pronounce the word correctly if you use it in conversation; pronouncing it incorrectly suggests to people listening to you that you do not really know the word. 
  2. Determine the word's part of speech. Knowing whether a word is a noun, a verb, or something else can help you to understand and use it. Be aware that many words, such as "run" and "low," can be more than one part of speech. Dictionaries generally use abbreviations such as "n." and "adj." to indicate parts of speech. 
  3. Read the definitions and determine which relates to the context in which you found it. You may have to look up words you find in these definitions. Each definition provides one of the word's denotations, or literal meanings, but it may also give you clues to the word's connotations, which are associations that go along with the word. One dictionary's definition of "notorious," for example, is "Known widely and usually unfavorably." Thus, this definition not only explains that "notorious" means "Known widely," but reveals that it has negative connotations. You have reason to believe, then, that the person described in your reading as "notorious" had some enemies. You also know better than to use this word to describe someone widely respected, unless perhaps you want to create a humorous effect. 
  4. Pay attention to usage information. When you read a definition, you may notice an italicized term designed to tell how or where the word is used. The designation "Music" in a definition of "note," for example, indicates that this particular definition pertains to how musicians use the word. The designation "archaic" in a definition of "awful" shows that the word is no longer used widely with this meaning. The American Heritage College Dictionary also includes "usage notes" with many words, including "infer," "unique," and "literally." These notes provide information about how appropriate these words are in Standard English. Usage information can help you make decisions about whether and how to use a word. If it is labeled "archaic" or "obscene," for example, you probably will not want to use it in a research paper you are writing for a class, unless it appears in a quotation. 
  5. Study the word's etymology. The etymology of a word is its history. In many cases, when you read a word's etymology, you will see that English speakers borrowed the word from another language, such as French or Latin. You also may see that the word consists of various parts, each with its own meaning. If you look up the word "ambiguous," for example, you will see that it came from the Latin language and that it is made up of two parts: "ambi," which means "both" in Latin," and "guous," which refers to "meaning." Such information can help you to remember the word's meaning and to learn new words. By associating this word with "ambivalent," which means "having mixed feelings," and "ambidextrous," which means "functional with both hands," you can learn three words for the price of one. 
  6. Drawing on what you have learned from the dictionary entry, use the word in a sentence of your own. Using a word is the best way to commit its meaning to memory. 

    7. Record all of this information in a glossary in your notes. Writing down all of this information not only helps you remember it, but provides you with a reference you can use later.