| a. (in Etym.) | adoption of, adopted from | |
| a (as a 1850) | ante, ‘before’, ‘not later than’ | |
| a. | adjective | |
| abbrev. | abbreviation (of) | |
| abl. | ablative | |
| absol. | absolute, -ly | |
| Abstr. | (in titles) Abstract, -s | |
| acc. | accusative | |
| Acct. | (in titles) Account | |
| A.D. | Anno Domini | |
| ad. (in Etym.) | adaptation of | |
| Add. | Addenda | |
| adj. | adjective | |
| Adv. | (in titles) Advance,-d, -s | |
| adv. | adverb | |
| advb. | adverbial, -ly | |
| Advt. | advertisement | |
| Aeronaut. | (as label) in Aeronautics; (in titles) Aeronautic, -al, -s | |
| AF., AFr. | Anglo-French | |
| Afr. | Africa, -n | |
| Agric. | (as label) in Agriculture; (in titles) Agriculture, -al | |
| Alb. | Albanian | |
| Amer. | American | |
| Amer. Ind. | American Indian | |
| Anat. | (as label) in Anatomy; (in titles) Anatomy, -ical | |
| Anc. | (in titles) Ancient | |
| Anglo-Ind. | Anglo-Indian | |
| Anglo-Ir. | Anglo-Irish | |
| Ann. | Annals | |
| Anthrop., Anthropol. | (as label) in Anthropology; (in titles) Anthropology -ical | |
| Antiq. | (as label) in Antiquities; (in titles) Antiquity | |
| aphet. | aphetic, aphetized | |
| app. | apparently | |
| Appl. | (in titles) Applied | |
| Applic. | (in titles) Application, -s | |
| appos. | appositive, -ly | |
| Arab. | Arabic | |
| Aram. | Aramaic | |
| Arch. | in Architecture | |
| arch. | archaic | |
| Archæol. | in Archæology | |
| Archit. | (as label) in Architecture; (in titles) Architecture, -al | |
| Arm. | Armenian | |
| assoc. | association | |
| Astr. | in Astronomy | | |
| Astrol. | in Astrology | |
| Astron. | (in titles) Astronomy, -ical | |
| Astronaut. | (in titles) Astronautic, -s | |
| attrib. | attributive, -ly | |
| Austral. | Australian | |
| Autobiogr. | (in titles) Autobiography, -ical | |
| A. V. | Authorized Version | |
| | | |
| B.C. | Before Christ | |
| B. C. | (in titles) British Columbia | |
| bef. | before | |
| Bibliogr. | (as label) in Bibliography; (in titles) Bibliography, -ical | |
| Biochem. | (as label) in Biochemistry; (in titles) Biochemistry, -ical | |
| Biol. | (as label) in Biology; (in titles) Biology, -ical | |
| Bk. | Book | |
| Bot. | (as label) in Botany; (in titles) Botany, -ical | |
| Bp. | Bishop | |
| Brit. | (in titles) Britain, British | |
| Bulg. | Bulgarian | |
| Bull. | (in titles) Bulletin | |
| | | |
| c (as c 1700) | circa, ‘about’ | |
| c. (as 19th c.) | century | |
| Cal. | (in titles) Calendar | |
| Cambr. | (in titles) Cambridge | |
| Canad. | Canadian | |
| Cat. | Catalan | |
| catachr. | catachrestically | |
| Catal. | (in titles) Catalogue | |
| Celt. | Celtic | |
| Cent. | (in titles) Century, Central | |
| Cent. Dict. | Century Dictionary | |
| Cf., cf. | confer, ‘compare’ | |
| Ch. | Church | |
| Chem. | (as label) in Chemistry; (in titles) Chemistry, -ical | |
| Chr. | (in titles) Christian | |
| Chron. | (in titles) Chronicle | |
| Chronol. | (in titles) Chronology, -ical | |
| Cinemat., Cinematogr. | in Cinematography | |
| Clin. | (in titles) Clinical | |
| cl. L. | classical Latin | |
| cogn. w. | cognate with | |
| Col. | (in titles) Colonel, Colony | |
| Coll. | (in titles) Collection | |
| collect. | collective, -ly | |
| colloq. | colloquial, -ly | |
| comb. | combined, -ing | |
| Comb. | Combinations | |
| Comm. | in Commercial usage | |
| Communic. | in Communications | |
| comp. | compound, composition | |
| Compan. | (in titles) Companion | |
| compar. | comparative | |
| compl. | complement | |
| Compl. | (in titles) Complete | |
| Conc. | (in titles) Concise | |
| Conch. | in Conchology | |
| concr. | concrete, -ly | |
| Conf. | (in titles) Conference | |
| Congr. | (in titles) Congress | |
| conj. | conjunction | |
| cons. | consonant | |
| const. | construction, construed with | |
| contr. | contrast (with) | |
| Contrib. | (in titles) Contribution | |
| Corr. | (in titles) Correspondence | |
| corresp. | corresponding (to) | |
| Cotgr. | R. Cotgrave, Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues | |
| cpd. | compound | |
| Crit. | (in titles) Criticism, Critical | |
| Cryst. | in Crystallography | |
| Cycl. | (in titles) Cyclopædia,-ic | |
| Cytol. | (in titles) Cytology, -ical | |
| | | |
| Da. | Danish | |
| D.A. | Dictionary of Americanisms | |
| D.A.E. | Dictionary of American English | |
| dat. | dative | |
| D.C. | District of Columbia | |
| Deb. | (in titles) Debate, -s | |
| def. | definite, -ition | |
| dem. | demonstrative | |
| deriv. | derivative, -ation | |
| derog. | derogatory | |
| Descr. | (in titles) Description, -itive | |
| Devel. | (in titles) Development, -al | |
| Diagn. | (in titles) Diagnosis, Diagnostic | |
| dial. | dialect, -al | |
| Dict. | Dictionary; spec., the Oxford English Dictionary | |
| dim. | diminutive | |
| Dis. | (in titles) Disease | |
| Diss. | (in titles) Dissertation | |
| D.O.S.T. | Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue | |
| Du. | Dutch | |
| | | |
| E. | East | |
| Eccl. | (as label) in Ecclesiastical usage; (in titles) Ecclesiastical | |
| Ecol. | in Ecology | |
| Econ. | (as label) in Economics; (in titles) Economy, -ics | |
| ed. | edition | |
| E.D.D. | English Dialect Dictionary | |
| Edin. | (in titles) Edinburgh | |
| Educ. | (as label) in Education; (in titles) Education, - al | |
| EE. | Early English | |
| e.g. | exempli gratia, ‘for example’ | |
| Electr. | (as label) in Electricity; (in titles) Electricity, -ical | |
| Electron. | (in titles) Electronic, -s | |
| Elem. | (in titles) Element, -ary | |
| ellipt. | elliptical, -ly | |
| Embryol. | in Embryology | |
| e.midl | east midland (dialect) | |
| Encycl. | (in titles)Encyclopædia,-ic | |
| Eng. | England, English | |
| Engin. | in Engineering | |
| Ent. | in Entomology | |
| Entomol. | (in titles) Entomology, -logical | |
| erron. | erroneous, -ly | |
| esp. | especially | |
| Ess. | (in titles) Essay, -s | |
| et al. | et alii, ‘and others’ | |
| etc. | et cetera | |
| Ethnol. | in Ethnology | |
| etym. | etymology | |
| euphem. | euphemistically | |
| Exam. | (in titles) Examination | |
| exc. | except | |
| Exerc. | (in titles) Exercise, -s | |
| Exper. | (in titles) Experiment, -al | |
| Explor. | (in titles) Exploration, -s | |
| | | |
| f. | feminine | |
| f. (in Etym.) | formed on | |
| f. (in subordinate entries) | form of | |
| F. | French | |
| fem. (rarely f.) | feminine | |
| fig. | figurative, -ly | |
| Finn. | Finnish | |
| fl. | floruit, ‘flourished’ | |
| Found. | (in titles) Foundation, -s | |
| Fr. | French | |
| freq. | frequent, -ly | |
| Fris. | Frisian | |
| Fund. | (in titles) Fundamental, -s | |
| Funk or Funk's Stand. Dict. | Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary | |
| | | |
| G. | German | |
| Gael. | Gaelic | |
| Gaz. | (in titles) Gazette | |
| gen. | genitive | |
| gen. | general, -ly | |
| Geogr. | (as label) in Geography; (in titles) Geography, -ical | |
| Geol. | (as label) in Geology; (in titles) Geology, -ical | |
| Geom. | in Geometry | |
| Geomorphol. | in Geomorphology | |
| Ger. | German | |
| Gloss. | Glossary | |
| Gmc. | Germanic | |
| Godef. | F. Godefroy, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française | |
| Goth. | Gothic | |
| Govt. | (in titles) Government | |
| Gr. | Greek | |
| Gram. | (as label) in Grammar; (in titles) Grammar, -tical | |
| Gt. | Great | |
| | | |
| Heb. | Hebrew | |
| Her. | in Heraldry | |
| Herb. | among herbalists | |
| Hind. | Hindustani | |
| Hist. | (as label) in History; (in titles) History, -ical | |
| hist. | historical | |
| Histol. | (in titles) Histology, -ical | |
| Hort. | in Horticulture | |
| Househ. | (in titles) Household | |
| Housek. | (in titles) Housekeeping | |
| | | |
| Ibid. | Ibidem, ‘in the same book or passage’ | |
| Icel. | Icelandic | |
| Ichthyol. | in Ichthyology | |
| id. | idem, ‘the same’ | |
| i.e. | id est, ‘that is’ | |
| IE. | Indo-European | |
| Illustr. | (in titles) Illustration, -ted | |
| imit. | imitative | |
| Immunol. | in Immunology | |
| imp. | imperative | |
| impers. | impersonal | |
| impf. | imperfect | |
| ind. | indicative | |
| indef. | indefinite | |
| Industr. | (in titles) Industry, -ial | |
| inf. | infinitive | |
| infl. | influenced | |
| Inorg. | (in titles) Inorganic | |
| Ins. | (in titles) Insurance | |
| Inst. | (in titles) Institute, -tion | |
| int. | interjection | |
| intr. | intransitive | |
| Introd. | (in titles) Introduction | |
| Ir. | Irish | |
| irreg. | irregular, -ly | |
| It. | Italian | |
| | | |
| J., (J.) | (quoted from) Johnson’s Dictionary | |
| (Jam.) | Jamieson, Scottish Dict. | |
| Jap. | Japanese | |
| joc. | jocular, -ly | |
| Jrnl. | (in titles) Journal | |
| Jun. | (in titles) Junior | |
| | | |
| Knowl. | (in titles) Knowledge | |
| | | |
| l. | line | |
| L. | Latin | |
| lang. | language | |
| Lect. | (in titles) Lecture, -s | |
| Less. | (in titles) Lesson, -s | |
| Let., Lett. | letter, letters | |
| LG. | Low German | |
| lit. | literal, -ly | |
| Lit. | Literary | |
| Lith. | Lithuanian |
| LXX | Septuagint |
| | |
| m. | masculine |
| Mag. | (in titles) Magazine |
| Magn. | (in titles) Magnetic, -ism |
| Mal. | Malay, Malayan |
| Man. | (in titles) Manual |
| Managem. | (in titles) Management |
| Manch. | (in titles) Manchester |
| Manuf. | in Manufacture, -ing |
| Mar. | (in titles) Marine |
| masc. (rarely m.) | masculine |
| Math. | (as label) in Mathematics; (in titles) Mathematics, -al |
| MDu. | Middle Dutch |
| ME. | Middle English |
| Mech. | (as label) in Mechanics; (in titles) Mechanics, -al |
| Med. | (as label) in Medicine; (in titles) Medicine, -ical |
| med.L. | medieval Latin |
| Mem. | (in titles) Memoir, -s |
| Metaph. | in Metaphysics |
| Meteorol. | (as label) in Meteorology; (in titles) Meteorology, -ical |
| MHG. | Middle High German |
| midl. | midland (dialect) |
| Mil. | in military usage |
| Min. | (as label) in Mineralogy; (in titles) Ministry |
| Mineral. | (in titles) Mineralogy, -ical |
| MLG. | Middle Low German |
| Misc. | (in titles) Miscellany, -eous |
| mod. | modern |
| mod. L | modern Latin |
| (Morris), | (quoted from) E. E. Morris's Austral English |
| Mus. | (as label) in Music; (in titles) Music, -al; Museum |
| Myst. | (in titles) Mystery |
| Mythol. | in Mythology |
| | |
| N. | North |
| n. | neuter |
| N. Amer. | North America, -n |
| N. & Q. | Notes and Queries |
| Narr. | (in titles) Narrative |
| Nat. | (in titles) Natural |
| Nat. Hist. | in Natural History |
| Naut. | in nautical language |
| N. E. | North East |
| N.E.D. | New English Dictionary, original title of the Oxford English Dictionary (first edition) |
| Neurol. | in Neurology |
| neut. (rarely n.) | neuter |
| NF., NFr. | Northern French |
| No. | Number |
| nom. | nominative |
| north. | northern (dialect) |
| Norw. | Norwegian |
| n.q. | no quotations |
| N.T. | New Testament |
| Nucl. | Nuclear |
| Numism. | in Numismatics |
| N.W. | North West |
| N.Z. | New Zealand |
| | |
| obj. | object |
| obl. | oblique |
| Obs., obs. | obsolete |
| Obstetr. | (in titles) Obstetrics |
| occas. | occasionally |
| OE. | Old English (= Anglo Saxon) |
| OF., OFr. | Old French |
| OFris. | Old Frisian |
| OHG. | Old High German |
| OIr. | Old Irish |
| ON. | Old Norse |
| ONF. | Old Northern French |
| Ophthalm. | in Ophthalmology |
| opp. | opposed (to), the opposite (of) |
| Opt. | in Optics |
| Org. | (in titles) Organic |
| orig. | origin, -al, -ally |
| Ornith. | (as label) in Ornithology; (in titles) Ornithology, -ical |
| OS. | Old Saxon |
| OSl. | Old (Church) Slavonic |
| O.T. | Old Testament |
| Outl. | (in titles) Outline |
| Oxf. | (in titles) Oxford |
| | |
| p. | page |
| Palæogr. | in Palæography |
| Palæont | (as label) in Palæontology; (in titles) Palæontology, -ical |
| pa. pple | passive participle, past participle |
| (Partridge), | (quoted from) E. Partridge’s Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English |
| pass. | passive, -ly |
| pa.t. | past tense |
| Path. | (as label) in Pathology; (in titles) Pathology, -ical |
| perh. | perhaps |
| Pers. | Persian |
| pers. | person, -al |
| Petrogr. | in Petrography |
| Petrol. | (as label) in Petrology; (in titles) Petrology, -ical |
| (Pettman), | (quoted from) C. Pettman’s Africanderisms |
| pf. | perfect |
| Pg. | Portuguese |
| Pharm. | in Pharmacology |
| Philol. | (as label) Philology; (in titles) Philology, -ical |
| Philos. | (as label) Philosophy; (in titles) Philosophy, -ic |
| phonet. | phonetic, -ally |
| Photogr. | (as label) in Photography; (in titles) Photography,-ical |
| phr. | phrase |
| Phys. | physical; (rarely) in Physiology |
| Physiol. | (as label) in Physiology; (in titles) Physiology, -ical |
| Pict. | (in titles) Picture, Pictorial |
| pl., plur. | plural |
| poet. | poetic, -al |
| Pol. | Polish |
| Pol. | (as label) in Politics; (in titles) Politics, -al |
| Pol. Econ. | in Political Economy |
| Polit. | (in titles) Politics, -al |
| pop. | popular, -ly |
| Porc. | (in titles) Porcelain |
| poss. | possessive |
| Pott. | (in titles) Pottery |
| ppl.a, pple.adj. | participial adjective |
| pple. | participle |
| Pr. | Provençal |
| pr. | present |
| Pract. | (in titles) Practice, -al |
| prec. | preceding (word or article) |
| pred. | predicative |
| pref. | prefix |
| pref., Pref. | preface |
| prep. | preposition |
| pres. | present |
| Princ. | (in titles) Principle, -s |
| priv. | privative |
| prob. | probably |
| Probl. | (in titles) Problem |
| Proc. | (in titles) Proceedings |
| pron. | pronoun |
| pronunc. | pronunciation |
| prop. | properly |
| Pros. | in Prosody |
| Prov. | Provençal |
| pr. pple. | present participle |
| Psych. | in Psychology |
| Psychol. | (as label) in Psychology; (in titles) Psychology, -ical |
| Publ. | (in titles) Publications |
| | |
| Q. | (in titles) Quarterly |
| quot(s). | quotation(s) |
| q.v. | quod vide, ‘which see’ |
| | |
| R. | (in titles) Royal |
| Radiol. | in Radiology |
| R.C.Ch. | Roman Catholic Church |
| Rec. | (in titles) Record |
| redupl. | reduplicating |
| Ref. | (in titles) Reference |
| refash. | refashioned, -ing |
| refl. | reflexive |
| Reg. | (in titles) Register |
| reg. | regular |
| rel. | related to |
| Reminisc. | (in titles) Reminiscence, -s |
| Rep. | (in titles) Report, -s |
| repr. | representative, representing |
| Res. | (in titles) Research |
| Rev. | (in titles) Review |
| rev. | revised |
| Rhet. | in Rhetoric |
| Rom. | Roman, -ce, ic |
| Rum. | Rumanian |
| Russ. | Russian |
| | |
| S. | South |
| S.Afr. | South Africa, -n |
| sb. | substantive |
| sc. | scilicet, ‘understand’ or ‘supply’ |
| Sc., Scot. | Scottish |
| Scand. | (in titles) Scandinavia, -n |
| Sch. | (in titles) School |
| Sc. Nat. Dict. | Scottish National Dictionary |
| Scotl. | (in titles) Scotland |
| Sel. | (in titles) Selection, -s |
| Ser. | Series |
| sing. | singular |
| Sk. | (in titles) Sketch |
|
| Skr. | Sanskrit |
| Slav. | Slavonic |
| S.N.D. | Scottish National Dictionary |
| Soc. | (in titles) Society |
| Sociol. | (as label) in Sociology; (in titles) Sociology, -ical |
| Sp. | Spanish |
| Sp. | (in titles) Speech, -es |
| sp. | spelling |
| spec. | specifically |
| Spec. | (in titles) Specimen |
| St. | Saint |
| Stand. | (in titles) Standard |
| Stanf. | (quoted from) Stanford Dictionary of Anglicised Words & Phrases |
| str. | strong |
| Struct. | (in titles) Structure, -al |
| Stud. | (in titles) Studies |
| subj. | subject |
| subord. cl. | subordinate clause |
| subseq. | subsequent, -ly |
| subst. | substantively |
| suff. | suffix |
| superl. | superlative |
| Suppl. | Supplement |
| Surg. | (as label) in Surgery; (in titles) Surgery, Surgical |
| s.v. | sub voce, ‘under the word’ |
| Sw. | Swedish |
| s.w. | south-western (dialect) |
| Syd. Soc. Lex. | Sydenham Society, Lexicon of Medicine & Allied Sciences |
| syll. | syllable |
| Syr. | Syrian |
| Syst. | (in titles) System, -atic |
| | |
| Taxon. | (in titles) Taxonomy, -ical |
| techn. | technical, -ly |
| Technol. | (in titles) Technology, -ical |
| Telegr. | in Telegraphy |
| Teleph. | in Telephony |
| (Th.), | (quoted from) Thornton’s American Glossary |
| Theatr. | in the Theatre, theatrical |
| Theol. | (as label) in Theology; (in titles) Theology, -ical |
| Theoret. | (in titles) Theoretical |
| Tokh. | Tokharian |
| tr., transl. | translated, translation |
| Trans. | (in titles) Transactions |
| trans. | transitive |
| transf. | transferred sense |
| Trav. | (in titles) Travel(s) |
| Treas. | (in titles) Treasury |
| Treat. | (in titles) Treatise |
| Treatm. | (in titles) Treatment |
| Trig. | in Trigonometry |
| Trop. | (in titles) Tropical |
|
| Turk. | Turkish |
| Typog., Typogr. | in Typography |
| | |
| ult. | ultimately |
| Univ. | (in titles) University |
| unkn. | unknown |
| U.S. | United States |
| U.S.S.R. | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| usu. | usually |
| | |
| v., vb. | verb |
| var(r)., vars. | variant(s) of |
| vbl. sb. | verbal substantive |
| Vertebr. | (in titles) Vertebrate, -s |
| Vet. | (as label) in Veterinary Science; (in titles) Veterinary |
| Vet. Sci. | in Veterinary Science |
| viz. | videlicet ‘namely’ |
| Voy. | (in titles) Voyage, -s |
| v.str. | strong verb |
| vulg. | vulgar |
| v.w. | weak verb |
| | |
| W. | Welsh; West |
| wd. | word |
| Webster | Webster’s (New International) Dictionary |
| Westm. | (in titles) Westminster |
| WGmc. | West Germanic |
| Wks. | (in titles) Works |
| w.midl. | west midland (dialect) |
| WS. | West Saxon |
| | |
| (Y.), | (quoted from) Yule & Burnell’s Hobson-Jobson |
| Yrs. | (in titles) Years |
| | |
| Zoogeogr. | in Zoogeography |
| Zool. | (as label) in Zoology; (in titles) Zoology, -ical |
= obsolete
Note on proprietary names