Table Of ContentOxford
Paperback
Dictionary
and Thesaurus
Edited by
Sara Hawker
Maurice Waite
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
/
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford 0x2 6dp
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© Oxford University Press 2001, 2007
Database right Oxford University Press (makers)
First published 2001
Second edition 2007
Dictionary text adapted from the Little Oxford English Dictionary, 9th edition
Thesaurus text first published as the Little Oxford Thesaurus, 3rd edition
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ISBN 978-0-19-921514-0
2
Typeset in Frutiger and Parable
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Printed in Great Britain
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Contents
Introduction ' vii
Guide to the dictionary and thesaurus viii
Oxford Paperback Dictionary
and Thesaurus 1
VII
Introduction
The Oxford Paperback Dictionary and Thesaurus is an invaluable two-in-one
reference tool for anyone who wants to enrich their vocabulary and increase
their command of the English language. This new edition has been fully revised
and updated and aims to provide a wide variety of information about language
and the core vocabulary of current English in a conveniently sized volume and
a readily accessible format. The dictionary and thesaurus components are
combined in a way that enables quick and easy reference to both: the top
section of each page contains the dictionary entries, while the lower section
gives matching thesaurus entries for many of the words in the dictionary.
The dictionary section is adapted from the 9th edition of the Little Oxford
English Dictionary and is based on our analysis of the hundreds of millions of
words of real English, taken from books, newspapers, magazines, and the
Internet, which are contained in the Oxford English Corpus. The dictionary
focuses on clear explanations of meaning together with extra help on aspects of
words which often cause difficulties in terms of spelling, pronunciation,
grammar, or usage. Individual notes give clear guidance on confusable words
(such as accept and except, or flaunt md flouts, on points of good English (for
example, whether to say different from or different to), and tricky spellings like
Mediterranean, skilful, and weird. Information is presented in clear, concise
language, avoiding the use of difficult or technical terms wherever possible.
The pronunciations use a simple respelling system which makes them very easy
to understand.
The thesaurus section is derived from the 3rd edition of the Little Oxford
Thesaurus and provides synonyms (words with the same or similar meanings)
for around 7,000 entries in the dictionary section. The synonym lists are
divided, where appropriate, into numbered senses relating to particular
meanings of the word in question so that it is easy to select the sense that
matches the context you are looking for. Synonyms are arranged in order of
their closeness in meaning to the entry word, with the closest one given first
and printed in bold. Words with opposite meanings (known as antonyms') are
also provided for many entries.
Guide to the dictionary
and thesaurus
The dictionary and thesaurus are designed to be as easy to use and understand
as possible. Here is an explanation of the main features that you will find in
each part of the book.
1. Structure of dictionary entries
Part of speech (word class)
Headword _ .
.deny verb (denies, denying, denied)jl istate Sense number
that something is not true. 2 refuse to
admit something. 3 refuse to give someone
a thing that they want. 4 (deny yourself) .;.
go without something you want. Typical pattern of
use
desperate adjective 1 feeling, showing, or
involving despair. 2 done when everything
Derivatives (words failed. 3 very serious: a desperate .
formed from the shortage. 4 needing or wanting something Example of use
headword) , very much.
.■ desperately adverb desperation noun.
.! 0 desperate, not -parate. 1
Spelling note —Z...1
Plural form
donkey noun (plural donkeys) a domesticated
animal of the horse family with long ears
and a braying cglJ,.
[!:• o donkey jacketiBrit.ia heavy jacket with a Geographical label
Phrases and
patch of waterproof material across the (showing where the
compounds
shoulders, donkey's years informal a very term is used)
long time.
Adjective forms
classy adjective (classier, classiest) informal
stylish and SQphisticated. Label showing the
situation in which
flair noun 1 a natural ability or talent. the word is used
2 stylishness.
• ! don't confuse flair with flare, which
Usage note
means 'burn' or 'gradually become wider'.
Homonym number,
Subject label
given for words that
have the same baiM noun Cricket either of the two small
spelling but pieces of wood that rest on the stumps.
different meanings
Alternative spelling
mackintosh or macintosh noun Brit, a of the headword
full-length waterproof coat.
Cross reference to
Pronunciation another dictionary
(for selected words) entry
discotheque /diss-kuh-tek/ = disco.
2. Structure of thesaurus entries
Headword
cheerful adjective 1 he arrived looking .
cheerful: happy, jolly, merry, brig'ht, sunny. Example of use, to
Core synonym— joyful, in good/high spirits, buoyant, distinguish
the closest synonym
cheery, animated, smiling, good-humoured;.
to the headword
...informal chipper..fhirpx.full of beans.!2 jfl‘.sense number
cheerful room.t pleasant,: attractive, bright,
agreeable, sunny,' friendly, welcoming.
[•> OPPOSITES sad, gloomy.
Words meaning the
opposite of the
headword; most Part of speech
have entries of their everywhere adverb all over, all around, in (word class)
own, where a wider every nook and cranny, far and wide, near
choice will be found
and far, high and low, {here, there, and .
everywhere}, the world over, worldwide; Brackets around a
informal all over the place; Brit, informal all over phrase, to avoid
the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map. confusion
OPPOSITES nowhere.
infant nouii baby, newbpr^^^ young chil.d,.
Subject label, tiny tot, little one;;Medicine:neonate;-Scottish •& Label indicating
indicating the field N. English bairn, wean;"i'nf6rnial tiny, spfbg.'. the region of the
in which the follow¬ world in which
ing synonym is used the following
Label indicating the synonym(s) are
level or style of English used
in which the following
synonym(s) are used
root noun 1 the root of the problem: source,
origin, cause, reason,.basis,.foundation,.
bottom, seat. 2 i(roots) ;origins, beginnings. Form of the
family, birth, hei^it'age'.' headword for which
• verb he rooted around in the cupboard: synonyms are given
rummage, hunt, search, rifle, delve, forage,
dig, nose, poke.
root something out eradicate, eliminate,
Phrase for which weed out, destroy, wipe out, stamp out,
synonyms are given abolish, end, put a stop to.
seldom adverb rarely, infrequently, hardly
.(ever), scarcely (ever); informal once in a
Brackets to show blue moon,
more than one opposites often,
possibility: hardly
and hardly ever
Guide to the dictionary and thesaurus
X
Labels
Most of the words and senses in the dictionary and thesaurus are part of
standard English. Some words, however, are appropriate only to certain
situations (such as an informal conversation) or are found only in certain
contexts (for example, in poetry or in official documents). Where this is the
case a label (or a combination of labels) is used.
Register labels
Register labels refer to a particular level of use in language. They show that a
term is informal or formal, old-fashioned, or technical, and so on.
■ formal: normally used only in writing, especially in official documents
(e.g. dwelling or deceased)
m informal: normally used only in speaking, or in informal writing or email
(e.g. gawp or barmy)
■ dated: no longer used by most people (e.g. gramophone)
m old use: not in ordinary use today, though sometimes used to give an old-
fashioned effect and also found in the literature of the past (e.g. farewell or
maiden)
■ historical: only used today to refer to things that are no longer part of
modern life (e.g. blunderbuss or doublet)
m literary: found only or mainly in poems, plays, and novels {e.g. flaxen or
serpent)
■ technical: normally used only in technical language (e.g. node or fluvial)
■ humorous: used to sound amusing or playful (e.g. underwhelmed)
m dialect: used only in certain local regions of the UK (e.g. aye or bide)
■ disapproving: meant to convey a low opinion or to insult someone (e.g. pleb)
■ offensive: likely to cause offence, whether the person speaking means to or
not
Geographical labels
English is spoken throughout the \Vorld. While most of the words used in
standard British English will be the same as those used in other varieties, there
are some words which are only found in one type of English. For example, the
normal American word for a lift is elevator. If a word or phrase has the
geographical label Brit, in this book, this means that it is used in standard British
English but not in American English, although it may be found in other
varieties such as Australian English. The labels US and N. Amer., on the other hand,
mean that the word or phrase is typically American and is not standard in
British English, though it may be found elsewhere.
Subject labels
Subject labels are used to show that a word or sense is connected with a
particular subject or specialist activity such as Music, Computing, or Rugby.
