THE MAIN ENTRY AND ITS BASIC ELEMENTS

Each main entry consists of an entry word followed by a functional label, a sense number when needed, a shared-meaning statement with a brief verbal illustration, and a list of synonyms. Lists of related words, idiomatic equivalents, contrasted words, and antonyms follow the synonym list if they are called for. A typical main entry takes the following form:

Entry Word: calm
Function: adjective
1 free from storm or rough activity <the wind died down and the sea became calm>
Synonyms halcyon, hushed, placid, quiet, still, stilly, untroubled
Related Words inactive, quiescent, reposing, resting; pacific, smooth, tranquil, unruffled
Idioms calm as a millpond, still as death
Contrasted Words agitated, disturbed, perturbed, restless, turbulent, uneasy
Antonyms stormy

In this example, the italic functional label indicates that the entry word is an adjective. Other labels used in this book are adverb, conjunction, interjection, noun, preposition, pronoun, and verb.

Individual senses of multisense entries (as calm adjective) are introduced by a boldface sense number (as 1).

The shared meaning, as "free from storm or rough activity" at calm 1, indicates that the area of meaning in which a group of words (in this case, calm, halcyon, placid, quiet, still, stilly, and untroubled) are considered to be synonymous.

In other words, the shared-meaning statement pinpoints the exact relationship between the main-entry word and its synonyms.

A shared-meaning statement may be supplemented by a usage note introduced by a lightface dash when additional information or comments on syntax or usage are required:

Entry Word: yet
Function: adverb
1 beyond this -- used as an intensive to stress the comparative degree

Some interjections express feelings but otherwise are untranslatable into substitutable meaning; in such cases, the shared-meaning statement itself may be replaced by a usage note:

Entry Word: good-bye
Function: interjection
-- used as a conventional expression of good wishes as parting

Each shared meaning is followed by a verbal illustration enclosed by angle brackets (as <the wind died and the sea became calm> at calm) that exemplifies a typical use of the entry word in its pertinent sense. The verbal illustration also offers the thesaurus user a frame for testing the suitability of the synonyms and/or related words with regard to a particular need. Two verbal illustrations may appear after a shared-meaning statement that is broad enough to subsume alternatives (as both a literal and an extended use):

Entry Word: see
Function: verb
1 to take cognizance of by physical or mental vision <saw that the boat was being driven ashore> <the only one who saw the truth>

Such double illustrations have been chosen with discretion and are used sparingly in this book.

The label Synonyms introduces a synonyms list that appears at each main entry. This list may consist of only one synonym (as here at hitherto adverb 2) or of many. Each synonym in a main-entry list also has its own secondary entry in the thesaurus.

A compare cross-reference may appear at the end of a main-entry Synonyms list. This cross-reference, set in small capitals, is used (1) when two or more groups of synonyms are very closely related and it is felt that the user examining one list should be aware of the existence of the other list or lists:

Entry Word: assassin
Function: noun
a person hired or hirable to commit murder <found out who paid the assassin>
Synonyms bravo, cutthroat, gun, gunman, ||gunsel, gunslinger, hatchet man, hit man, torpedo, triggerman; MURDERER

Entry Word: murderer
Function: noun
one who kills a human being
Synonyms homicide, killer, manslayer, slayer; ASSASSIN

and (2) when the user should be warned that certain words have evolved derivative senses that tend to blur precise sense boundaries and consequently cause an overlapping of senses and meaning, thus making those words somewhat less desirable choices for the user in terms of preciseness than other words in the list. A comparison of the main entries for ration and share reveals the usage overlap of the synonyms allotment, allowance, part, portion, quota, and share, which are indeed valid synonyms at both entries:

Entry Word: ration
Function: noun
an amount allotted or made available especially from a limited supply <saved up their gasoline ration for a vacation trip>
Synonyms allotment, allowance, apportionment, measure, meed, part, portion, quantum, quota, share; SHARE 1

Entry Word: share
Function: noun
1 something belonging to, assumed by, or falling to one (as in division or apportionment) <wanted his share of the prize money>
Synonyms allotment, allowance, bite, cut, lot, part, partage, portion, quota, slice; RATION

 

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