If You’ve Got It, Haunt It: October Vocabulary: Vocabulary for National Dictionary Day, October 16

You already know that dictionaries contain oodles of words that describe everything in the universe. But do you ever think about the words related to dictionaries, the meanings, and parts that make up the words and the definitions? Here are some of the terms used by dictionary writers and dictionary readers, like you!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. antonym
    a word that expresses an opposite meaning
    Out of a wide range of antonyms available for notoriety — e.g., repute, distinction, celebrity, renown, eminence, to list a handful — any one of which would fit the context nicely. Washington Post (Mar 15, 2019)
    Antonym is the antonym of synonym, below. The anti- prefix, from Greek meaning "against" or "opposite", sees frequent use in English. Words like "antimatter", "antigravity", and "antibiotics" all refer to things or properties in opposition to the root word.
  2. connote
    express or state indirectly
    The remarks, made an interview for a podcast interview, were seized upon by Chinese media because the word "pig" in China is used to connote stupidity and laziness. BBC (Oct 1, 2019)
    For another instance where a prefix makes the word, compare connote with denote below. "Con-" means "with", and "note" comes from Latin for "to mark", so an owl connotes wisdom because it bears that mark: it reminds you of the trait. Where connote refers to an indirect meaning or association — a connotation, to use the noun — denotes means "means".
  3. dictionary
    a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
    As the bus drove on, I pulled my dictionary from my purse to look up the words I wanted. The Book of Unknown Americans
  4. definition
    a brief explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase
    “You don’t get to change what the definition and terms are after people vote for it,” Grant said. Reuters (Oct 7, 2019)
    If something is definitive, then it is a perfect example of a given thing. A dictionary defines words, and also gives guidance on their pronunciation and usage (see below).
  5. denote
    have as a meaning
    Primarily a fashion term, “Normcore” combines “normal” and “hardcore” to denote people who are zealous about appearing ordinary. Washington Post (Oct 3, 2019)
  6. diacritical
    capable of distinguishing
    Linguists caution that the most accurate guides to pronunciation include diacritical marks. Wall Street Journal (Nov 23, 2016)
    Any written language that uses accents above or below letters to show how they should be pronounced can be said to use diacritical marks. Taking this concept one step further, in Vietnamese diacritics (an alternate spelling) indicate the tone or pitch of a sound.
  7. entry
    an item inserted in a written record
    His entry on the Wall of Spies says: Washington Post (Oct 5, 2019)
  8. etymology
    a history of a word
    Consider the etymology of the French travail and the Spanish trabajo, each a translation of the English noun “work”: their Latin root is trepaliare, “to torture, to inflict suffering or agony.” The Guardian (May 8, 2018)
    Etymology deals with the origins of words. The Greek word "logos" means several things, including "word", "speech", and knowledge". English words such as "apology", "dialogue", "logic", and any branch of science or medicine ending in "-ology" (like your new friend etymology) all derive from this root word. Isn't etymology fun? Entomology is the study of insects, so be careful not to confuse the two!
  9. inflection
    a change in a word's form to indicate grammatical function
    Many of the inflections of nouns and verbs are formed by adding one or more syllables to the root. Elements of Gaelic Grammar
  10. lexicographer
    a compiler or writer of a dictionary
    Traditional print dictionaries employ lexicographers to track and assess words, selecting the worthiest candidates to be included in published editions. The New York Times
  11. lexicon
    a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
    I would look up a word in the lexicon only to forget it when I turned to write it down; my noun cases, my verb forms, had left me utterly. The Secret History
  12. meaning
    the message that is intended or expressed or signified
    And therein lies the greater, more profound meaning of decoration, which occupies the foreground of this extraordinary show. Los Angeles Times (Oct 7, 2019)
  13. part of speech
    a class of words distinguished by its function in a sentence
    Combine and define confine + ment.—What other part of speech than a verb is "confine"? Ans. New Word-Analysis
  14. pronunciation
    the manner in which someone utters a word
    Several people in the audience corrected his pronunciation. Washington Times (Nov 8, 2018)
  15. sense
    a general conscious awareness
    Area and in a sense was seeding the habitat for kids who will soon follow in his boot steps. Seattle Times (Oct 7, 2019)
    Sense can mean many things, but in this case we're talking about another version of meaning or connotation. When you sense something, you perceive or become aware of it. The sense in which a word is used refers to its context and the way you are meant to understand it.
  16. synonym
    a word that expresses the same or similar meaning
    For family delicacy, Dad coined two synonyms for going to the bathroom in the woods. Cheaper by the Dozen
    English is a Germanic language, but it contains many contributions from Greek, Latin, Romance languages (meaning descended from Latin, like French and Spanish), and elsewhere. As a result — and as you can see from many of the examples in this list — we're lucky as English-speakers to have many words with which to express the same or similar things: synonyms. As writers, a large vocabulary allows us to express any idea, no matter how nuanced.
  17. usage
    the act of employing
    As is often the case with Trump, his word usage both amplifies ideas ambient in the culture and takes advantage of gaps in the language. The New Yorker (Oct 1, 2019)
  18. vocabulary
    techniques or symbols serving as a means of expression
    So I sit at the table in the kitchen and practice new vocabulary, purposely saying out loud the words that pertain to cooking. Piecing Me Together
Created on Mon Oct 07 14:09:19 EDT 2019 (updated Mon Sep 25 10:21:29 EDT 2023)

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