Before a word or sense.
† = obsolete.
ǁ = not naturalized.
In the quotations.
* sometimes points out the word illustrated.
In the list of Forms.
1 = before 1100.
2 = 12th c. (1100 to 1200).
3 = 13th c. (1200 to 1300).
5–7 = 15th to 17th century.
In the Etymol.
* indicates a word or form not actually found, but of which the existence is inferred.
:– = extant representative, or regular phonetic descendant of.
The printing of a word in SMALL CAPITALS indicates that further information will be found under the word so referred to.
List of Abbreviations, Signs, &c.
a. [in Etymol.] = adoption of, adopted from.
a. (as a. 1300) = ante, before.
a., adj., adj. = adjective.
absol., absol. = absolutely.
abst. = abstract.
acc. = accusative.
ad. [in Etymol.] = adaptation of.
adv., adv. = adverb.
advb. = adverbial, -ly.
AF., AFr. = Anglo-French.
Anat. = in Anatomy.
Antiq. = in Antiquities.
aphet. = aphetic, aphetized.
app. = apparently.
Arab. = Arabic.
Arch. = in Architecture.
arch. = archaic.
Archæol. = in Archæology.
assoc. = association.
Astr. = in Astronomy.
Astrol. = in Astrology.
attrib. = attributive, -ly.
bef. = before.
Biol. = in Biology.
Boh. = Bohemian.
Bot. = in Botany.
Build. = in Building.
c. (as c. 1300) = circa, about.
c. (as 13th c.) = century.
Cat. = Catalan.
catachr. = catachrestically.
Cf., cf. = confer, compare.
Chem. = in Chemistry.
cl. L. = classical Latin.
cogn. w. = cognate with.
collect. = collective, -ly.
colloq. = colloquially.
comb. = combined, -ing.
Comb. = Combinations.
Comm. = in commercial usage.
comp. = compound, composition.
compl. = complement.
Conch. = in Conchology.
concr. = concretely.
conj. = conjunction.
cons. = consonant.
Const., Const. = Construction, construed with.
Cryst. = in Crystallography.
(D.) = in Davies (Supp. Eng. Glossary).
Da = Danish.
dat. = dative.
def. = definite.
deriv. = derivative, -ation.
dial., dial. = dialect, -al.
Dict. = Dictionary.
dim. = diminutive.
Du. = Dutch.
Eccl. = in ecclesiastical usage.
ellipt. = elliptical, -ly.
e. midl. = east midland (dialect).
Eng. = English.
Ent. = in Entomology.
erron. = erroneous, -ly.
esp., esp = especially.
etym. = etymology.
euphem. = euphemistically.
exc. = except.
f. [in Etymol.] = formed on.
f. (in subordinate entries) = form of.
fem. (rarely f.) = feminine.
fig. = figurative, -ly.
F., Fr. = French.
freq. = frequently.
Fris. = Frisian.
G., Ger. = German.
Gael. = Gaelic.
gen. = genitive.
gen. = general, -ly.
gen. sign. = general signification.
Geol. = in Geology.
Geom. = in Geometry.
Goth = Gothic (= Mœso-Gothic).
Gr = Greek.
Gram. = in Grammar.
Heb. = Hebrew.
Her. = in Heraldry.
Herb. = with herbalists.
Hort. = in Horticulture.
imp. = Imperative.
impers. = impersonal.
impf. = imperfect.
ind. = Indicative.
indef. = indefinite.
inf. = Infinitive.
infl. = influenced.
int. = interjection.
intr. = intransitive.
It. = Italian.
J., (J.) = Johnson (quotation from).
(Jam.) = in Jamieson, Scottish Dict.
(Jod.) = Jodrell (quoted from).
L. = Latin.
(L.) (in quotations) = Latham’s edn. of Todd’s Johnson.
lang. = language.
LG. = Low German.
lit = literal, -ly.
Lith. = Lithuanian.
LXX. = Septuagint.
Mal. = Malay.
masc. (rarely m.) = masculine.
Math. = in Mathematics.
ME. = Middle English.
Med. = in Medicine.
med. L. = mediæval Latin.
Mech. = in Mechanics.
Metaph. = in Metaphysics.
MHG. = Middle High German.
midl. = midland (dialect).
Mil. = in military usage.
Min. = in Mineralogy.
mod. = modern.
Mus. = in Music.
(N.) = Nares (quoted from).
n. of action = noun of action.
n. of agent = noun of agent.
Nat. Hist. = in Natural History.
Naut. = in nautical language.
neut. (rarely n.) = neuter.
NF., NFr. = Northern French.
N. O = Natural Order.
nom. = nominative.
north. = northern (dialect).
N. T. = New Testament.
Numism = in Numismatics.
obj. = object.
Obs., obs., obs. = obsolete.
occas. = occasional, -ly.
OE. = Old English (= Anglo-Saxon).
OF., OFr. = Old French.
OFris. = Old Frisian.
OHG. - Old High German.
OIr. = Old Irish.
ON. = Old Norse (Old Icelandic).
ONF. = Old Northern French.
Opt. = in Optics.
Ornith. = in Ornithology.
OS. = Old Saxon.
OSl. = Old Slavonic.
O. T. = Old Testament.
OTeut. = Original Teutonic.
orig. = original, -ly.
Palæont. = in Palæontology.
pa. pple. = passive or past participle.
pass. = passive, -ly.
pa. t. = past tense.
Path. = in Pathology.
perh. = perhaps.
Pers. = Persian.
pers. = person, -al.
pf. = perfect.
Pg. = Portuguese.
Philol. = in Philology.
phonet. = phonetic, -ally.
phr. = phrase.
Phren. = in Phrenology.
Phys. = in Physiology.
pl., pl. = plural.
poet. = poetic.
pop. = popular, -ly.
ppl. a., ppl. adj. = participial adjective.
pple. = participle.
Pr. = Provençal.
prec. = preceding (word or article).
pref. = prefix.
prep. = preposition.
pres. = present.
Prim. sign. = Primary signification.
priv. = privative.
prob. = probably.
pron. = pronoun.
pronunc. = pronunciation.
prop. = properly.
Pros. = in Prosody.
pr. pple. = present participle.
Psych. = in Psychology.
q.v. = quod vide, which see.
(R.) = in Richardson’s Dict.
R.C.Ch. = Roman Catholic Church.
refash. = refashioned, -ing.
refl., refl. = reflexive.
reg. = regular.
repr. = representative, representing.
Rhet. = in Rhetoric.
Rom. = Romanic, Romance.
sb., sb. = substantive.
Sc., Sc. = Scotch.
sc. = scilicet, understand or supply.
sing. = singular.
Skr. = Sanskrit.
Slav. = Slavonic.
Sp. = Spanish.
sp = spelling.
spec. = specifically.
subj. = subject, subjunctive.
subord. cl. = subordinate clause.
subseq. = subsequently.
subst. = substantively.
suff. = suffix.
superl. = superlative.
Surg. = in Surgery.
Sw. = Swedish.
s.w. = south western (dialect).
T. (T.) = in Todd’s Johnson.
techn. = technical, -ly.
Theol. = in Theology.
trans. = translation of.
trans. = transitive.
transf. = transferred sense.
Trig. = in Trigonometry.
Typog. = in Typography.
ult. = ultimate, -ly.
unkn. = unknown.
U.S. = United States.
v., vb. = verb.
v. str., or w. = verb strong, or weak.
vbl. sb. = verbal substantive.
var. = variant of.
wd. = word.
WGer. = West Germanic.
w. midl. = west midland (dialect).
WS = West Saxon.
(Y.) = in Col. Yule’s Glossary.
Zool. = in Zoology.
