A dictionary is a book or electronic resource that contains words of a language arranged alphabetically along with explanations of their meanings and other information. It provides definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and other details about words. Dictionaries come in different types, including unabridged dictionaries which are the most comprehensive and contain over 265,000 words, and abridged dictionaries which focus on common words and contain 150,000 to 250,000 words. Dictionaries are used to define, translate, verify spelling and pronunciation of words, determine their origins, and standardize language usage.

1. Dictionary
DICTIONARY

2. What is a “dictionary”?
 A book containing a selection of words of a language or a
some special subjects arranged alphabetically with
explanation about them.
 a collection of words in one or more specific languages,
often listed alphabetically, with usage
information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics,
pronunciations, and other information.

3. a dictionary may be regarded as a lexicographical product that
is characterized by three significant features:
(1) it contains data that have been selected for the purpose of
fulfilling those functions; and
(2) its lexicographic structures link and establish relationships
between the data so that they can meet the needs of users
and fulfill the functions of the dictionary.
(3) it has been prepared for one or more functions;

4. USES
 Define or translate words
 verify spelling syllabication or pronunciation
 check on usage (prescriptive and descriptive)
 to determine the etymological history of a word
 to an extent, standardize the language

5. TYPES: (General)
1. Unabridged Dictionaries
 contains 265 000 of words and more.
 Unabridged dictionaries are the most scholarly and
comprehensive of all dictionaries, sometimes consisting of
many volumes.
 They emphasize the history of words and the variety of their
uses.

6. Examples of Unabridged Dictionary
• Webster’s 3rd new international dictionary. 1961
• The random house dictionary.
• The Oxford English Dictionary, (20 volumes)
• The Random House Dictionary of the English Language
• Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English
Language

8. 2. Abridged Dictionaries
 often called desk dictionaries, list 150,000 to
250,000 words and concentrate largely on fairly
common words and meanings. A good desk
dictionary will serve most reference needs for
writing or reading.