This dictionary is based on word parts — those prefixes, suffixes, combining forms and roots which show up repeatedly to form words — and is meant to be used in conjunction with a standard dictionary and a thesaurus. It can help to retrieve words only dimly remembered, or it can lead to specific new words which otherwise might never have been discovered. And since a single recurrent letter combination often unlocks the partial meaning of dozens of words, it can act as an efficient way to expand one’s general vocabulary. The Word Parts Dictionary is divided into three sections.

Part I, the standard Dictionary, allows a reader to find the meaning of word parts conveniently arranged in alphabetical order, together with an example. For instance, Part I would reveal that the word part -nov- can mean either “new” (for instance, novelty) or “nine” (for instance, novenary), so the user would then become alert to context clues. This section is particularly
useful to the person who has set out to expand his or her vocabulary. It is also a convenient place to consult to find actual examples after using Part II. Generally, one example is provided for each meaning.

Part II, the Finder, allows a user to start with a meaning or concept and then find the word parts which express that meaning. It is a reverse dictionary. For instance, one would learn that the meaning “color” is carried by the word parts chromato-, -chrome, chromo-, -chroous, -pigm-, -tinct-, and -ting-. Armed with that information, a user could then consult his or her memory or turn to the appropriate pages of a standard dictionary to find a variety of words which a thesaurus would not have contained. The alternative to finding such word parts is endless paging through an unabridged dictionary.

Part III, Categories, is also a reverse dictionary, but this time with the word parts arranged in clusters of meaning. For example, Part III would enable a reader to find, in one convenient listing, word parts which express many specific colors. Each color would also appear in Part II, of course, but in an isolated, alphabetical fashion. This dictionary focuses on four kinds of word parts.

Prefixes (pre): A prefix is a syllable, group of syllables, or word united with or joined to the beginning of another word to alter its meaning or create a new word. For example, re- is a prefix in the word “redevelop.” The hyphen at the end of the prefix indicates that it usually starts a word.

Suffixes (suf): A suffix is a syllable, group of syllables, or word added at the end of a word or word base to change its meaning, give it grammatical form, or form a new word. For example, -ette is a suffix in the word “kitchenette.” The hyphen at the start of the suffix indicates that it normally ends a word.

Combining forms (comb): A combining form is a word form that occurs only in compounds, or in compounds and derivatives, and that can combine with other such forms or with prefixes and suffixes to form a word. For example, cryo- is one of the combining forms in the word “cryogenic,”
and -genie is the other one. The hyphens indicate that cryo- usually starts the word in which it appears and that -genie usually ends the word in which it appears.

Bases (base): A base is a stem or a root, a generally short letter combination that conveys a recurrent meaning all by itself without being involved in a compound word. Prefixes and suffixes may be added to it. For example, -diet- is a base in the word “predictable.” The two hyphens indicate that it may appear at any location in a word: front, back, or middle. Thus, we have
“dictation,” “contradict,” and “predictable.” Read the rest of this entry »