VERBS

The principal parts of verbs are shown in this dictionary when suffixation brings about a doubling of a final consonant or an elision of a final -e or a change of final -y to -i-, when final -c changes to -ck in suffixation, when the verb ends in -ey, when the inflection is irregular, when there are variant inflected forms, and when it is believed that the dictionary user might have reasonable doubts about the spelling of an inflected form or when the inflected form is spelled in a way contrary to expectations:

Main Entry: ²snag
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): snagged; snag.ging

Main Entry: ¹move
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): moved; mov.ing

Main Entry: ¹cry
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): cried; cry.ing

Main Entry: ²frolic
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): frol.icked; frol.ick.ing

Main Entry: ¹sur.vey
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): sur.veyed; sur.vey.ing

Main Entry: ¹drive
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): drove . . . ; driv.en . . . ; driv.ing

Main Entry: ²bus
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): bused or bussed; bus.ing or bus.sing

Main Entry: ²visa
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): vi.saed . . . ; vi.sa.ing

Main Entry: ²chagrin
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): cha.grined . . . ; cha.grin.ing

The principal parts of a regularly inflected verb are shown when it is desirable to indicate the pronunciation of one of the inflected forms:

Main Entry: learn
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): learned \'l&rnd, 'l&rnt\; learn.ing

Main Entry: rip.en
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): rip.ened; rip.en.ing \'rI-p&-ni[ng], 'rIp-ni[ng]\

Cutback inflected forms are often used when the verb has three or more syllables, when it is a disyllable that ends in -l and has variant spellings, and when it is a compound whose second element is readily recognized as an irregular verb:

Main Entry: elim.i.nate
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat.ed; -nat.ing

Main Entry: ³quarrel
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -reled or -relled; -rel.ing or -rel.ling

Main Entry: ¹re.take
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -took . . . ; -tak.en . . . ; -tak.ing

The principal parts of verbs are usually not shown when the base word is unchanged by suffixation or when the verb is a compound whose second element is readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at its own place:

Main Entry: ¹jump
Function: verb

Main Entry: pre.judge
Function: transitive verb

Another inflected form of English verbs is the third person singular of the present tense, which is regularly formed by the addition of -s or -es to the base form of the verb. This inflected form is not shown except at a handful of entries (as have and do) for which it is in some way anomalous.

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