Abbreviations Found in the Dictionary

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

When you are reading the dictionary, you may notice that there are many abbreviations.

To understand what you are reading, you will need to have a good understanding of these abbreviations.

Read through the abbreviations and their meanings in the following lists. Look up the abbreviations adj., coll., esp.

What are the meanings of these abbreviations:

• Abbreviation (dictionary.com)
• Abbreviations (public.oed.com)
• Written Abbreviations (macmillandictionary.com)

Did you notice that many of the abbreviations are repeated in each list? These are the most commonly found abbreviations in the dictionary.

Let's review some common abbreviations found in the dictionary:

n. is the abbreviation for noun

vb. is the abbreviation for verb

adj. is the abbreviation for adjective

pron. is the abbreviation for pronoun

sing. is the abbreviation for singular

pl. is the abbreviation for plural

These are some common and important abbreviations you will find in the dictionary. Let's move on the Got It? section so you can test knowledge!