lexicon
a wordbook or dictionary, especially of Greek, Latin, or Hebrew.
the vocabulary of a particular language, field, social class, person, etc.
inventory or record: unparalleled in the lexicon of human relations.
Linguistics.
the total inventory of morphemes in a given language.
the inventory of base morphemes plus their combinations with derivational morphemes.
Origin of lexicon
1word story For lexicon
English lexicon was first used in the sense “dictionary, wordbook,” and usually referred to dictionaries of Greek and the culturally important Semitic languages (Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, Arabic). Dictionaries of these particular languages were traditionally written in Latin, and since Latin had no native word for dictionary, lexicon was the word generally used.
Our English word dictionary comes from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, the neuter form of dictiōnārius ( liber ) “word (book)”—that is, “a phrase book, a beginner’s textbook (of Latin).”
Other words for lexicon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lexicon in a sentence
Condendaque Lexica mandat Damnatis, pœnam pro pœnis omnibus unam.
British Dictionary definitions for lexicon
/ (ˈlɛksɪkən) /
a dictionary, esp one of an ancient language such as Greek or Hebrew
a list of terms relating to a particular subject
the vocabulary of a language or of an individual
linguistics the set of all the morphemes of a language
Origin of lexicon
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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