The pull-down menu allows you to select what part of the entry to search:

Headword – the word being defined

If you have trouble finding a headword:

Try using a wildcard (below)

Try removing punctuation and spaces, e.g. search alexandersfoot instead of Alexander's foot.

Full Text –anywhere in the entry 

--Definition – the definitions 

--Etymology –the word’s history 

--Quotation –illustrative quotation 

--Author –author of illustrative quotation

--Title – title of a work, anywhere in the entry 

--Places – places named anywhere in the entry 

--People – people named anywhere in the entry except authors of illustrative quotations 

--Usage – Johnson’s comments about the word 

Foreign – both the language name and foreign words in that language 

Headword Sounds like – Soundex search of headwords

 

Using Wildcards to Widen Your Headword Search

hor* finds words that begin with hor

*ology finds words that end with ology

qu*y finds words that begin with qu and end with y

b.t finds words begin with b, end with t, and have one letter (.) in between

Try removing punctuation, hyphens, and spaces, e.g. search adamsapple instead of Adam's-apple

For more information about searching, see our Guide to Searching.

Close