NTC's Dictionary of Words and Phrases

752 Pages·2001·4.535 MB·English

by  Richard A. Spears

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NTC’
s
pocket
DICTIONARY
Of words
and phr ases
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NTC’
s
pocket
DICTIONARY
Of words
and phr ases
12,000 Words, Idioms, and
Phrasal Verbs for Travelers
and Learners
Editor-in-Chief
Richard A. Spears, Ph.D.
Chicago New York San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid MexicoCity
Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto
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DOI: 10.1036/0071434054
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Contents
Introduction vii
How to Use This Dictionary ix
Useful Spelling Rules xi
Lists of Words xvii
Abbreviations and Symbols xxxi
Pronunciation xxxii
Entries 1
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Introduction
NTC’s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrasesis for persons
who are seeking to improve their ability to speak, read, write,
and understand American English. It is a small, portable dic-
tionary that will help learners with spelling, pronunciation,
parts of speech, meaning, irregular forms, and the appropri-
ate use of 12,000 common words and phrases.
This dictionary defines words using the smallest possible
vocabulary, but when it is necessary, additional words are used
to define difficult concepts. In many cases, more than one def-
inition is given, so the learner has additional help in figuring
out the meaning of a word or expression.
Phrases are entered in the dictionary in their normal alpha-
betical positions. Phrases are also indexed within the diction-
ary by means of cross-references. A cross-reference to each
phrase is found at the entry of each non-initial, major word
inthe phrase. Thus, after accountwe find the cross-references:
→
cook the accounts
→
give a good account of oneself
→
savings account
→
turn somethingto good account
These cross-references enable a reader who can’t remem-
ber an exact phrase to find it just by looking up one of the
phrase’s key words.
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How to Use This Dictionary
Many ofthe entry words in the dictionary have more than one
sense. Please study all the relevant sensesto make sure you have
found the right one.
Nominals (n.) that do not follow the regular spelling or
pronunciation rules in the formation ofthe plural are marked
irreg., and the form of the plural is given in the entry. Verbs
(tv., iv.) that do not follow the regular rules for the formation
ofthe past tense and past participle are marked irreg., and the
proper forms are given in the entry. The comparative and
superlative forms of adjectives (adj.) and adverbs (adv.) are
listed when there are forms—as with red, redder, reddest—that
replace, or that exist in addition to, the comparatives and
superlatives formed with moreand most. After many of the
definitions, you will find comments, enclosed in parentheses,
containing further information about the entry word.
Keep in mind that the goal in using a monolingual learner’s
dictionary is not only to find the meanings of specific words,
but also to develop the skills needed to acquire new words and
senses of words from their actual use in context.
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