Definition

1. Noun:
   • The canonical form of a word: The main entry word is the base or standard form of a word under which its meaning, grammatical information, and related forms are listed in a dictionary or lexicon. It is the word as it appears when alphabetized.

Usage

• The is typically the simplest form of the word, such as the infinitive for a verb (e.g., "run") or the singular for a noun (e.g., "child").
• In a dictionary, you look up the to find a full definition. For example, to find the meaning of "running," "ran," or "runs," you would find the "run."

Examples

• Noun:
  • For the verb forms "goes," "went," and "going," the main entry word is "go."
  • The dictionary lists "mouse" as the main entry word, with "mice" noted as its plural form.
  • When compiling the glossary, the editor ensured each main entry word was bolded and followed by its pronunciation.

Advanced Usage

• In computational linguistics and lexicography, the is a key concept for organizing digital dictionaries and natural language processing tools.
• The choice of a can vary between dictionaries; for instance, some may list "colour" while others use "color" as the main form.

Variants and Related Words

• Headword: A synonym often used interchangeably with .
• Lemma: In linguistics, this is the technical term for the canonical form, dictionary form, or citation form of a set of words (e.g., "run" is the lemma for "run," "runs," "running," "ran").

Synonyms

• Headword
• Lemma
• Citation form
• Base form

Related Phrases

• Lexical entry: The complete dictionary entry for a word, which includes the , its definition, pronunciation, part of speech, and other information.
  • The lexical entry for "play" includes its definitions as a noun and a verb, its pronunciation, and example sentences.

Noun

1. the form of a word that heads a lexical entry and is alphabetized in a dictionary