lexicon
Noun
- The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge; a dictionary.
- a language user's knowledge of words
- a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
- The vocabulary of a language.
- A dictionary that includes or focuses on lexemes.
- A dictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic.
- The lexicology of a programming language. (Usually called lexical structure.)
- Any dictionary.
- The vocabulary used by or known to an individual. (Also called lexical knowledge.)
- A set of vocabulary specific to a certain subject.
- A set of vocabulary specific to a certain subject.
- A list thereof.
Verb
- To add to a lexicon.
- To shorten a soundtrack to fit a shortened version of a movie.
Examples
- a baseball lexicon
- An extensive lexicon is crucial for success in competitive word games.
- the baseball lexicon
Origin / Etymology
Through Middle French or directly from New Latin lexicon, from Byzantine Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “a lexicon, a dictionary”), ellipsis from Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, literally “a book of words”), from λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”), from λέξις (léxis, “a saying, speech, word”), from λέγω (légō, “to speak”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather, collect”).
Attested at least since 1583 (in William Fulke's A Defense of the Sincere and True Translations of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue) in the sense 'a dictionary of a classical language'.
Synonyms
dictionary, mental lexicon, vocabulary, glossary, word-hoard, word-stock, wordbook
Scrabble Score: 16
lexicon: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordlexicon: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lexicon: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary