SYMBOLS

Two warning symbols are used in this thesaurus: the asterisk * and the double bars ||.

The asterisk prefixes terms that are generally or often considered vulgar and that are appropriately labeled in either Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary or in the unabridged Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Examples of such terms may be found at the main entries fool noun 1 and nonsense noun 2. If an asterisk prefixes a term in a main-entry Synonyms list, it also prefixes that term at its secondary entry. When only one sense of an entry is considered vulgar, the asterisk precedes only the affected sense of the entry.

The double bars prefixing some terms in this thesaurus warn the user that the employment of such a term may involve a problem of diction too complex for presentation in a thesaurus, or a restriction in usage. Consequently, the thesaurus user should consult a dictionary if he or she is in doubt about the stylistic level or appropriateness of the word or if he or she is unfamiliar with its meanings. For example, ||fat cat (a synonym of notable noun 1), ||chuff (synonym of sullen adjective), and ||puxy (a synonym of swamp noun) are all double-barred in this thesaurus because they carry stigmatizing or regional labels in either Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, or in the larger Webster's Third New International Dictionary.

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