Definition

Noun: A lexical entry is the complete record or unit of information for a single headword (a word or phrase) in a dictionary or lexicon. It contains all the linguistic data about that word, such as its spelling, pronunciation, grammatical information, definitions, examples, and often etymology.

Usage

A lexical entry organizes all the relevant information about a specific vocabulary item. It serves as the fundamental building block of a dictionary. Each distinct word or phrase that is defined gets its own lexical entry.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The dictionary's lexical entry for "run" is very long because the word has many meanings.
  • A good lexical entry will clearly separate the different senses of a polysemous word.
  • Compiling accurate lexical entries is the primary task of a lexicographer.

Advanced Usage

• Lexical Entry Structure: Refers to the standardized format or set of fields (e.g., headword, part of speech, pronunciation, definition, example sentence) that make up an entry.
  • The lexical entry structure in this digital dictionary allows for easy linking to synonyms and antonyms.

Variants and Related Words

• Entry (n): A more general term for an item in a list, record, or reference work. A lexical entry is a specific type of entry in a dictionary.
• Headword (n): The word or phrase that appears at the beginning of a lexical entry and is the subject being defined.
• Lemma (n): In linguistics, often used synonymously with "headword" to refer the canonical form of a word under which its lexical entry is organized.

Synonyms

• Dictionary entry
• Vocabulary entry
• Lexeme entry (in more technical linguistic contexts)

Related Phrases

• To look up a lexical entry: To search for and read the dictionary information for a word.
  • If you are unsure, you should look up the lexical entry for that word.

Noun

1. the entry in a dictionary of information about a word