Table Of ContentTLOENGXAIN CON
|OF CONTEMPORARY
ENGLISH
| Tom McArthur
|
|P ronunciation table |
CONSONANTS VOWELS
SYMBOL KEY WORD SYMBOL KEY WORD
back bad
day AmE farm
then calm
jump BrE pot
[oy
few bite
gay now
hot tire
yet tower
key AmE form
led caught
sum boy
sun employer
sung bed
pen there
red make
-soon player
fishing about
note
tea
lower
cheer
thing AmE bird
view bird
pretty
wet
zero sheep
eBeoEGC=elOoaJCatnRro ’Eo t o O o e pl easure ship
here
AmE port
Special signs
boot
separates British and American pro- put
nunciations: British on the left,
American on the right poor
shows main STRESS cut
shows SECONDARY STRESS
shows STRESS SHIFT
at the end of a word means that /r/ is
usually pronounced in American
English and is pronounced in British
English when the next word begins
with a vowel sound
/3! means that some speakers use /1/ and
others use /a/
/i/ means many American speakers use
/i:/ but many British speakers use /1/
al means that /9/ may or may not be used
/o/ means that American speakers use
either /9/ or /au/
/a/ /a, 9, 3/ are used for American
[| English to represent /a:, 9:, 3:/
[al
For further information see the
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, pp.xvii-xxii
“KOWa CREAN
Sis ory
Short forms used in the Lexicon
2 Prugust |
abbreyv abbreviation infin infinitive
adj adjective infml informal
adv adverb inter] interjection
affec affectionate IrE English used in
AmE American Ireland
English It Italian
& and Lat Latin
apprec appreciative lit literary
attrib attributive math mathematical
BrE British med medical
English N North
cap capital n noun
comb combination naut nautical
comb combining neg negative
form form not fml not formal
compar comparative participle
conj conjunction pass passive
def definition pers person
deprec depreciative phr phrase
derog very plural
depreciative poet poetic
det determiner pomp pompous
E East poss possessive
emot emotive or prep preposition
emotional pres present
emph emphatic pron pronoun
EngE English used in refl reflexive
England South
esp especially ScotE English used in
etc et cetera; Scotland
and so on sing singular
euph euphemistic sl slang
fem feminine Sp Spanish
Sig figurative superl superlative
Sml formal t tense
Pr French tdmk trademark
genl general tech technical
geom geometry United States
Ger German usually
humor humorous verb
imper imperative West
See also Grammar table inside back cover.
"
ordi
: AY, alia “3 f
rae aes Chae 9 at a) Oe:
- Fewetry Lesa
Henge:
oy eee bees
hates, <
ee
)s seg
4 eS oe GAR
: pear geegys -
LONGMAN
LEXICON
OF
CONTEMPORARY
ENGLISH
Tom McArthur
Longman Group UK Limited
Longman House, Burnt Mill, Harlow,
Essex CM20 2JE, England
and Associated Companies throughout the world.
© Longman Group Limited 1981
All rights reserved; no part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the Publishers.
First published by Longman Group Limited 1981
Ninth impression 1988
ISBN 0-582-S555e7—2
Produced by Longman Singapore Publishers Pte Ltd
Printed in Singapore.
Acknowledgments
Over the eight years of its gestation, the Lexicon has been informed
by the advice and talent of many.
In the early days, when nobody was sure what such a book would be
like, I received invaluable encouragement, advice, and critical help
from Professor David Abercrombie, Louis Alexander, Professor
David Crystal, Professor Randolph Quirk, and D. K. Swan. From
start to finish, sympathetic management in the Longman
organization itself was essential, and this was amply provided by Tim
Rix, Charles McGregor, and Della Summers.
The Lexicon was put together in two corners of Great Britain:
Longniddry in Scotland, and Harlow in England. It survived the
experience, and this was due in great part to Paul Procter of the
Longman Lexicographic Unit and editor-in-chief of the Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English, with whom it was always a
pleasure to work. In addition, I owe much to a whole phalanx of
definers, especially Jean Robinson; the Longman clerical staff,
especially Joyce Nairn; and, of course, to the illustrators, Tony
Baskeyfield, Richard Bonson, Malcolm Booker, Brian Lee, Hugh
Marshall, Julia Rout, and Clive Spong.
In Longniddry, Feri McArthur built up the Index and managed the
flow of material to and from Harlow, sharing the weight of
compilation while there was also a family to bring up. To her, as
always, my unbounded affection and admiration. Valerie Sinclair
and Ana-Maria Ballesteros also have my grateful thanks for the
typing of a never-ending manuscript.
Inevitably, in a project of this nature, an enormous amount of
editorial work had to be done. It fell to James Coakley, Janet Dalley,
Robert Scriven, and Adrian Stenton. The final high standard of
production is in great part a tribute to their patience and skill.
Contents
page
Pronunciation Table
inside front cover
Short forms used in the Lexicon
Acknowledgments iv
Preface vi
List of Sets vii
Howto use the Lexicon xii
Guide to the Lexicon xiv
THE LEXICON
A Lifeand Living Things 1
B The Body; its Functions
andWelfare 39
C People andthe Family 79
D Buildings, Houses, the
Home, Clothes,
Belongings, and Personal
Care 169
E Food, Drink, and Farming 213
F Feelings, Emotions,
Attitudes,andSensations 237
G Thought and Communication,
Language and Grammar 297
H Substances, Materials,
Objects, and Equipment 381
I Arts and Crafts, Science and
Technology, Industry
and Education 429
J Numbers, Measurement,
Money, and Commerce 457
K Entertainment, Sports,
and Games 505
L Spaceand Time 545
M _ Movement, Location, Travel,
and Transport - 603
N General and Abstract Terms 679
The Index +e 785,
Grammar Table & Sl 912
Preface
Lexicography has traditionally used the alphabet as its
principal means of organizing information about words.
Indeed, most of us think about wordbooks as
‘dictionaries’, and dictionaries as, necessarily, having an
alphabetical order.
There has, however, been an alternative tradition, in which
compilers have used groups of topics instead of the
alphabet as their basis for organization. The alphabet, with
allits virtues, places animals and zoos, uncles and aunts far
apart in its scheme of things, whereas in the human mind
such words go close together. The alphabetical dictionary
has a logic, but it is not the logic of everyday life. In
principle, one feels, words should be defined in the
company they usually keep. Two famous moves in this
direction have been the Janua Linguarum Reserata in
1631, the work of the Bohemian educator Comenius, and
Roget’s Thesaurus, first published by Longman in 1852.
The Longman Lexicon of Contemporary English belongs
in this tradition.
Comenius had a hundred chapters and a religious bias,
while Roget used a scheme of universal concepts as a
framework for his prodigious lists. The Lexicon, however,
has only fourteen ‘semantic fields’ of a pragmatic,
everyday nature, a simple system of letters and numbers
for easy reference, and an index that helps make reference
easier still. Its special feature as a reference tool for
students of English is its detailed definitions. Synonyms,
antonyms, hyponyms, and other related words are
presented in linguistically appropriate ways without,
however, demanding that the user be familiar with
linguistic terminology. The definitions are, additionally,
supplemented with style labels and examples of usage,
tabular and pictorial material being added where needed.
We believe that no previous wordbook has ever provided
such acompact description of the central vocabulary of the
English language.
The Lexicon is not intended to be exhaustive. It describes
some 15,000 items in, we believe, a clear and useful way.
Within the limits necessary for a work of this size, it
provides the core language for arange of topics as varied as
grammar and war, travel and tools, mathematics, sport,
laughter, life, and love.
ae
a oa Tom McArthur
August 1980
vi
List of Sets
Set titles are shown in bold type, with major cross-references listed underneath
A_ Life and Living Things
A1 Life and Living Things A90_ Reptiles and Amphibians
C1 People
C20 Courting, Sex, and Marriage A100 Fish and Other Water
C50 ~=—D eath and Burial
174 The Life Sciences Creatures
L200 Old, New, and Young L86 Areas of Water
N1 Being, Becoming, and E31 + Meat
Happening M19 Moving
A30__— Living Creatures Generally A110 Insects and Similar
B1 The Body Generally Creatures
us Food, Drink, and Farming
A50 Animals/Mammals A120 Parts of Animals
C1 People E34 Cuts of Meat
E31 Meat A130 Kinds and Parts of Plants
A70_ ‘Birds E30 Food
ME3119 = MMoenvti ng A150 Plants Generally
B The Body: its Functions and Welfare
B1 The Body Generally B60 Fluids and Waste Products
ee ote Spirits, and Ghosts of the Body
(00
H1 Substances and Materials #0 Plambing avdF ines ila
enerally
G1 _- Mind, Thought, and Reason H13 Rubbish and Waste — a
B10 The Body: Overall B80 Bodily States and
‘A120. Parts of Animals Associated Activities
A130 Kinds and Parts of Plants FA nea ane Behaviour
enerally
B20 The Head and the Face F260 Senses and Sensations
F240 Acttioo nFse eloifn tghse Face Related B110 Bodily Conditions Relating to
G1‘ Thinking, Judging, and Health, Sickness, and
pops peli Disability
B30 The Trunk, Arms, and Legs F260 Senses and Sensations
E30 Food B140 Diseases and Ailments
B50 _= The Skin, the Complexion, E80 Cigarettes and Drugs
pi ent aie B160 Medicine and General
farts of Animals
D170 Cleaning and Personal Care Medical Care
L20 —_ Light and Colour 1170 Science and Technology
C People and the Family
C1 People C40 _= —sF riendship and Enmity
Al Life and Living Things C270 Pail f War, and Peace
A50.~—- Animals/Mammals F140 Admiration, Pride, Contempt,
C212 Inheriting and Bequeathing and Abuse
D60 Residence F170 Kindness and Unkindness
D130 Clothes and Personal F190 Honesty, Loyalty, Trickery,
Belongings and Deceit
C20 Courting, Sex, and Marriage C50 _ Death and Burial
Al Life and Living Things Al Life and Living Things
vii
c70 Social Organization in Services, Crime, and
Groups and Places Criminals
|
L80.—- Geography Fi90 Honesty, Loyalty, Trickery, ©
and Decelt |;
c90 Government
C250 Prison and Punishment |
Ni65 Controlling Things
M35 ac a
c1i10 Politics and Elections N359 Seeking and Searching
c270 Warfare, Defence, and the
c130 Political Tension and Trouble
Army
F100. = Anger, Violence, Stress,
Im, and Quietness Fighting, War, and Peace
c150 Social Classifications and Al Life and Death
C40 _—s—F riendship and Enmity
Situations N387 Hurting and Harming
Ni94_ Sorting and Classifying c2s80 The Armed Forces
cis0 Law and Order Generally v4 * Castles be Parts of Castle:
N224 Fairness and Justice MoO venice and Transport on
c200 Courts of Law and Legal
M150 Shipping
Work M180 Aircraft
N210_ Rightness, Faimess, C320 Religion and Beliefs
rpose, Use, and
Strength Gi Thinking, Judging, and
ring
c220 The Police, Security Gi4 __ Believing and Accepting
D Buildings, Houses, the Home, Clothes,
Belongings, and Personal Care
Architecture and Kinds of J80 Money
Houses and Buildings J100 Banking, Wealth, and
investment
E120 Places and People J130 Commerce
Associated with Food J180 Shoppanid Gnengera l |
and Drink Expenses
N120 Doing Things |
D110 Seren and Household
SMceiaesnucree maenndt Technology Fittings :|
H135 Refrigeranadt Froeerzesrs |:
H140 Tools |
bD20 Parts of Houses Dis3O
134. Parts of Doors
bDSO Areas Around and Near
Houses H&85 Cloth and Textiles
E132 Fields and Orchards nN Making Things
L80 Geography D170 Cleaning and Personal Care
Residence Bi The
B50 TheS kint heC omplexion, ,
Ci People and the Hai
Belonging and Owning, B60 Fluidsa ndW aste Products.
Getting and Giving H64 ~—sCaOnDd iGirrimte
E Food, Drink, and Farming ;
Ei Food Generally A130 Kinds and Parts ofP lants -
A150 Plants in pon
E30 Food J192
Selling Food
ASO Animals/Mammals
A7O0 E60 Drinks
A100 Fieh andO ther (Water),
Creatures
Ai20 Parts of Animals Eso Cigarettes and Drugs
viii
