Definition

1. Noun:
   • A comprehensive reference work: A "cyclopedia" is a book or set of books containing detailed articles on a wide range of subjects, typically arranged alphabetically. It aims to cover the whole spectrum of human knowledge or a specific field of study.

Usage

• The word "cyclopedia" is used to refer to a traditional, often multi-volume, encyclopedia. It is a formal and somewhat dated term.
• It functions as a singular noun. The plural form is "cyclopedias".

Examples

• Noun:
  • The library's rare book collection includes a 19th-century cyclopedia of natural history.
  • He consulted an old cyclopedia to research the historical event.

Advanced Usage

• "the cyclopedia": Can be used to refer to a specific, well-known set.
  • The information was verified against the cyclopedia.
• As a modifier: Can be used attributively before another noun.
  • It was a cyclopedia entry, not a detailed scholarly article.

Variants and Related Words

• Encyclopedia (Encyclopaedia): The more common modern spelling and term for the same concept. "Cyclopedia" is a variant spelling.
• Cyclopaedic (adj): Covering a wide range of subjects; encyclopedic in scope.
  • His knowledge was truly cyclopaedic.

Synonyms

• Reference work: A book to which one can refer for authoritative facts.
• Compendium: A concise but comprehensive collection of information on a subject.

Related Phrases

• To consult a cyclopedia: To look up information in a cyclopedia.
  • Before the internet, students had to consult a cyclopedia for their projects.

Noun

1. a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty