Special types of main entries

1. Letters of the alphabet

Each letter of the alphabet is entered in the Dictionary as a headword in its own right. These headwords occur at the start of the range of entries beginning with the letter.

The entries for alphabet letters describe in detail the history and ‘shape’ of the letter in English and in related alphabets, describe points of interest in its use, and document the ways it has been pronounced in English over the centuries.

Entries for letters of the alphabet also include many initialisms and documentary evidence for their use, and explain the letter as a technical symbol and in abbreviations. In addition to the single letters of the alphabet, there are also headword entries for some two-letter groupings (or digraphs) such as ae, oe, sh, th, and wh.

2. Initialisms, acronyms, abbreviations

Initialisms are sequences of letters representing the initial letters of the expression they stand for (e.g. USA, MP, OED). Sometimes initialisms are pronounced as words (e.g. NATO, UNESCO), in which case they are called acronyms. Abbreviations are shortened forms of longer words, which are used as words in their own right (e.g. ‘pic’ for ‘picture’).

In this Dictionary many initialisms and acronyms are found under initial-letter entries (e.g. HQ at the entry for H). In some cases they are entered in the Dictionary as headwords. Abbreviations are normally entered as headwords.

3. Affixes and combining forms

Affixes are word-forming elements such as ‘pro-’, ‘re-’, and ‘-ful’ which are added to the beginning or end (occasionally the middle) of words to form new words. Combining forms are generally words which occur in a slightly altered form when used to introduce longer compound words (such as ‘medico-’ for ‘medical’). The Dictionary often treats the history of these terms under their own headwords. The words which they help to create are then either entered under the relevant affix or combining-form entry, or are given headword status in their own right.

4. Proper names

Proper names are not systematically covered by the Dictionary, though many are entered because the terms themselves are used in extended or allusive meanings, or because they are in some way culturally significant.

5. Erroneous, spurious, or ghost words

Occasionally ‘ghost’ words find their way into print and into dictionaries. Typically these are the result of misreadings of manuscripts or of typographical errors by printers. The Dictionary includes a number of these, labeled as ‘spurious’ entries, when the words have been used incorrectly in former editions of texts or have otherwise achieved some spurious existence.

6. Lengthy entries

The length of each entry is normally determined by the number of meanings a word has accumulated during its history. Some words--often rather short ones--have developed a vast range of meanings, and this results in some very lengthy entries. The longest entry in the Dictionary is for the word set as a verb, which has some 400 meanings and sub-meanings.