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Glite Dictionary
entry word

entry word

4.7
The main word shown as the heading in a dictionary
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : entrada
  • The entry word is always listed at the top of the dictionary definition.

Examples

  • Teachers often ask students to look up the entry word and read its various meanings.

  • Can you find the entry words for 'apple' and 'banana'?

  • In bilingual dictionaries, the entry word is usually printed in bold for easy reference.

  • The entry word is listed at the top of the page.

  • In bilingual dictionaries, the entry word is usually printed in bold for easy reference.

  • Teachers often ask students to look up the entry word and read its various meanings.

  • The entry word is always listed at the top of the dictionary definition.

Synonyms

citation form
vsentry word
  • Texting
1 7.5

The basic form of a word that a dictionary lists

focuses on alphabetical placement in dictionaries rather than standard form
main entry word
vsentry word
  • Jargon
6.0

The word shown at the top of a dictionary page to find information

is the simpler term focusing on alphabetical ordering in dictionaries
headword
vsentry word
  • Specialized
6.3

The main word at the start of a dictionary entry or phrase shown in bold

is about the same role but emphasizes alphabetizing rather than appearance
definiendum
vsentry word
  • Specialized
9.9

A word or phrase that a dictionary entry explains

refers to the main form used for alphabetizing and organizing dictionary listings

Surface Forms

entry word singular
entry words plural

Morphology

entry + word

The meaning 'the main word that serves as a dictionary heading' is directly derivable from combining 'entry' (a recorded item or listing) with 'word' (a lexical item). This is a straightforward noun+noun compound following regular English composition patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Entry word comes from the image of a dictionary page as an entrance: entry means the place you enter and word is the item at that place. So an entry word is the 'main word' shown at the top of an entry or 'heading'.