word-book

A student looks up a word in her word-book.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A vocabulary or lexicon: A "word-book" is a collection or list of words, typically arranged alphabetically, often with definitions or explanations. It may refer to a glossary, dictionary, or vocabulary list used for reference or study.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The student compiled a word-book of technical terms for the exam. (A list of specialized words with definitions.)
  • This old word-book contains many archaic English words. (A dictionary or glossary of historical vocabulary.)
  • She used a word-book to learn new vocabulary in French. (A reference book for vocabulary building.)

Advanced Usage

• "word-book" can also refer to a thematic or subject-specific lexical list, not necessarily a full dictionary.
  • The botanist's word-book listed all plant names in Latin and English. (A specialized glossary.)

Variants and Related Words

• Wordbook (n): alternative spelling, meaning the same as "word-book."
  • He bought a wordbook of legal terms for his studies. (A glossary of legal vocabulary.)
• Vocabulary (n): a set of words known or used by a person, or a list of words in a language.
  • Her English vocabulary has grown significantly. (Her collection of known words.)
• Glossary (n): a list of terms in a specific subject with definitions.
  • The textbook includes a glossary of key concepts. (A word-book for a specific field.)

Synonyms

• Dictionary: a reference book containing words and their meanings.
• Lexicon: a complete set of words in a language or field.
• Thesaurus: a word-book listing synonyms and antonyms.

Related Idioms

• To have a word-book at one's fingertips: to be very familiar with a vocabulary resource.
  • As a linguist, she has a word-book at her fingertips for any language question. (She can quickly recall or access a word collection.)