Definitions

All definitions have been reviewed during the process of revision and updating. Some have been retained, but many have been rewritten. A number of factors have led to the revision of particular definitions. The principal factor has been the reanalysis of the documentary evidence available for each term, which has sometimes indicated nuances of meaning which were either formerly overlooked (or not present in the language when the entry was previously edited) or which are now seen to be more significant than was previously thought. This applies both to the definition of modern terms and to the definition of historical vocabulary.

As a general rule, definitions should be comprehensible to the general reader. This is problematic in the case of some technical vocabulary. However, wherever possible a technical definition should include some pointers which allow the general reader either to understand the type of word being described, or to appreciate the context in which it is used. At times, the supporting illustrative quotations throw further light on these aspects.

Any supplementary information relevant to the definition (perhaps of a historical or explanatory nature) is given in small type (or parentheses) after the definition.

A consistent approach has been adopted to the separation of definitions from the associated text sometimes used to introduce or extend these. In general, ancillary text is closed off by punctuation (usually colons) or by parentheses.

Changes in formal terminology have also led to systematic revisions: some places are nowadays known by different names than they were when the Dictionary was first edited (see, for example, Macedonian); the extension of the metric system and alterations in the terminology of national currencies have promoted further systematic editorial changes (the Chinese mace as a denomination from 1890 was not noted in earlier editions of the Dictionary); taxonomic terminology changes over time and these changes need to be reflected in revised entries. Other types of alteration will be apparent throughout the revised material. Sometimes, a simple substitution of terminology is all that is necessary; at others, the former name is significant to the development of the word under review, and it is necessary to introduce the modern term while retaining a reference to the older one.