VOCABULARY LESSON 1
WORDS ABOUT DICTIONARIES
WORD LIST
abridged
etymology
browse
gazetteer
citation
homonym
compendium
lexicon
entry
phonetics
These words will help you make better use of dictionaries.
1.
2.
3.
abridged – a shortened version
 I had to abridge my paper so it would be only two pages in length.
browse - to casually look over something
 We browsed through the newspaper until we found the article on dogs.
citation –
a) a quotation from an authority
 We had many citations of authors that we used in our Middle Ages’ research paper.
b) an official award
 The soldier was given a citation for his service in the Vietnam War.
c) an official piece of paper stating that a person must appear in court
 My Uncle received a citation for speeding on Street Rd.
4. compendium –
d) a written summary
 The babysitting manual was a compendium of different experts in the field of Early
Childhood Development.
e) a collection of written works
 The book was a compendium of scary stories.
5. entry –
a ) word or subject in a reference book
 An entry in the dictionary usually gives the definition, part of speech, and pronunciation
of a word.
6.
7.
b) a way in
 The thief gained entry into the house from the window.
etymology – the history or origin of a word
(an etymologist is a person who studies the origin of words)
 The etymology of the word music is traced back to the French word musique.
gazetteer – a dictionary of places
 Mr. Leiby looked in a gazetteer to find the highest mountain ranges in the United States.
8.
homonym – a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning
 pair and pear are homonyms
9.
lexicon - a dictionary on a particular subject
 The lawyer looked in a legal lexicon to use the correct language for the writing of the
will.
10. phonetics – the study of language sounds
 The phonetic spelling of the word shows that the h in the word hour is
silent.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE
Write the letter for the word that best completes the sentence.
1. Mrs. Gil allowed me to ________through the non fiction section of the library during tutorial.
a) cited
b) abridged
c)browse
d)entered
2.
The________of boating rules included many terms that I was not familiar with.
a) lexicon
b) gazetteer
c) etymology
d) citation
3.
The________spelling of the word wrong shows that the w is silent.
a) cited
b) homonymous c) abridged
d) phonetic
4.
The ________ was an excellent source for my report on deserts in the United
States.
a) compendium b) lexicon
c) gazetteer
d) homonym
5.
The ________ version of the book Gone With the Wind was shorter than the
original book.
a) abridged
b) phonetic
c) etymological d) cited
6.
The ________ of the word entry comes from the French word entrée meaning
“enter.”
a) citation
b) compendium c) lexicon
d) etymology
7.
The ________ two, too, and to are often confusing to students.
a) entries
b) phonetics
c) homonyms
d) etymologies
8.
After the workshop on popular sports, a ________of the lectures was published.
a) compendium
b)gazetteer
c) entry
d) homonym
9.
Dictionary_______include a word’s etymology, definition, and pronunciation.
a) citations
b) entries
c) phonetics
d) browsers
10. My research report had to include at least five________ from experts on the
Middle Ages.
a) citations
b) gazetteers
c) etymologies
d) compendiums
WRITING RESPONSE
In one coherent paragraph (7-9 sentences), include three underlined vocabulary words:
Imagine that you could write a dictionary on any subject of your choosing. What topic
would you choose…skateboarding, fashion, cheerleading, baseball, video games? What would your
dictionary look like? Would it include pictures? Who would most likely use your dictionary? Write a
paragraph describing your dictionary on a separate sheet of paper. Don’t forget your three vocabulary
words, and write in cursive!
WRITE THE DERIVATIVE
Complete each sentence by writing the correct form of the word shown in parentheses. Some of the words
may stay the same.
__________1. Often, young children use________spellings; for example, they might spell rite instead of
write. (phonetics)
__________2. There are many________in the dictionary. (entry)
__________3. The story was too long so I ________it. (adridge)
__________4. The ________of poems written by Mrs. Derby’s English class was inserted into the
school’s newsletter. (compendium)
__________5. It is important to________your sources when you write a research paper. (citation)
FIND THE EXAMPLE
Choose the best answer.
_____1. Someone who would most likely receive a citation from law enforcement.
a) a lost dog
b) a heroic firefighter
c) a dangerous driver
_____2. Information you would find in a gazetteer
a) homonyms
b) list of cities
c) word origins
_____3. An example of homonyms
a) her, here
b) up, down
c) there, their, they’re
_____4. The entry to a car
a) the sun roof
b) the trunk
c) the car door
_____5. Something you read that you might browse through
a) a Harry Potter book
b) a magazine
c) a novel