Meaning of thesaurus word

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A thesaurus (plural thesauri or thesauruses), sometimes called a synonym dictionary or dictionary of synonyms, is a reference work which arranges words by their meanings,[1][2] sometimes as a hierarchy of broader and narrower terms, sometimes simply as lists of synonyms and antonyms. They are often used by writers to help find the best word to express an idea:

…to find the word, or words, by which [an] idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed

Synonym dictionaries have a long history. The word ‘thesaurus’ was used in 1852 by Peter Mark Roget for his Roget’s Thesaurus.

While some works called «thesauri», such as Roget’s Thesaurus, group words in a hierarchical hypernymic taxonomy of concepts, others are organized alphabetically[4][2] or in some other way.

Most thesauri do not include definitions, but many dictionaries include listings of synonyms.

Some thesauri and dictionary synonym notes characterize the distinctions between similar words, with notes on their «connotations and varying shades of meaning».[5] Some synonym dictionaries are primarily concerned with differentiating synonyms by meaning and usage. Usage manuals such as Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage or Garner’s Modern English Usage often prescribe appropriate usage of synonyms.

Writers sometimes use thesauri to avoid repetition of words — elegant variation — which is often criticized by usage manuals: «writers sometimes use them not just to vary their vocabularies but to dress them up too much».[6]

Etymology[edit]

The word «thesaurus» comes from Latin thēsaurus, which in turn comes from Greek θησαυρός (thēsauros) ‘treasure, treasury, storehouse’.[7] The word thēsauros is of uncertain etymology.[7][8][9]

Until the 19th century, a thesaurus was any dictionary or encyclopedia,[9] as in the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (Dictionary of the Latin Language, 1532), and the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (Dictionary of the Greek Language, 1572). It was Roget who introduced the meaning «collection of words arranged according to sense», in 1852.[7]

History[edit]

Peter Mark Roget, author of Roget’s thesaurus.

In antiquity, Philo of Byblos authored the first text that could now be called a thesaurus. In Sanskrit, the Amarakosha is a thesaurus in verse form, written in the 4th century.

The study of synonyms became an important theme in 18th-century philosophy, and Condillac wrote, but never published, a dictionary of synonyms.[10][11]

Some early synonym dictionaries include:

  • John Wilkins, An Essay Towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language and Alphabetical Dictionary (1668) are a «regular enumeration and description of all those things and notions to which names are to be assigned». They are not explicitly synonym dictionaries — in fact, they do not even use the word «synonym» — but they do group synonyms together.[12][13][14]
  • Gabriel Girard, La Justesse de la langue françoise, ou les différentes significations des mots qui passent pour synonymes (1718)[15]
  • John Trusler, The Difference between Words esteemed Synonyms, in the English Language; and the proper choice of them determined (1766)[16]
  • Hester Lynch Piozzi, British Synonymy (1794)[17]
  • James Leslie, Dictionary of the Synonymous Words and Technical Terms in the English Language (1806)[18]
  • George Crabb, English Synonyms Explained (1818)[19]

Roget’s Thesaurus, first compiled in 1805 by Peter Mark Roget, and published in 1852, follows John Wilkins’ semantic arrangement of 1668. Unlike earlier synonym dictionaries, it does not include definitions or aim to help the user to choose among synonyms. It has been continuously in print since 1852, and remains widely used across the English-speaking world.[20] Roget described his thesaurus in the foreword to the first edition:[21]

It is now nearly fifty years since I first projected a system of verbal classification similar to that on which the present work is founded. Conceiving that such a compilation might help to supply my own deficiencies, I had, in the year 1805, completed a classed catalogue of words on a small scale, but on the same principle, and nearly in the same form, as the Thesaurus now published.

Organization[edit]

Conceptual[edit]

Roget’s original thesaurus was organized into 1000 conceptual Heads (e.g., 806 Debt) organized into a four-level taxonomy. For example, debt is classed under V.ii.iv:[22]

Class five, Volition: the exercise of the will

Division Two: Social volition

Section 4: Possessive Relations

Subsection 4: Monetary relations.

Each head includes direct synonyms: Debt, obligation, liability, …; related concepts: interest, usance, usury; related persons: debtor, debitor, … defaulter (808); verbs: to be in debt, to owe, … see Borrow (788); phrases: to run up a bill or score, …; and adjectives: in debt, indebted, owing, …. Numbers in parentheses are cross-references to other Heads.

The book starts with a Tabular Synopsis of Categories laying out the hierarchy,[23] then the main body of the thesaurus listed by Head, and then an alphabetical index listing the different Heads under which a word may be found: Liable, subject to, 177; debt, 806; duty, 926.[24]

Some recent versions have kept the same organization, though often with more detail under each Head.[25] Others have made modest changes such as eliminating the four-level taxonomy and adding new heads: one has 1075 Heads in fifteen Classes.[26]

Some non-English thesauri have also adopted this model.[27]

In addition to its taxonomic organization, the Historical Thesaurus of English (2009) includes the date when each word came to have a given meaning. It has the novel and unique goal of «charting the semantic development of the huge and varied vocabulary of English».

Different senses of a word are listed separately. For example, three difference senses of «debt» are listed in three different places in the taxonomy:[28]

A sum of money that is owed or due; a liability or obligation to pay

Society

Trade and Finance

Management of Money

Insolvency

Indebtedness [noun]

An immaterial debt; an obligation to do something

Society

Morality

Duty or obligation

[noun]

An offence requiring expiation (figurative, Biblical)

Society

Faith

Aspects of faith

Spirituality

Sin

[noun]

instance of

Alphabetical[edit]

Other thesauri and synonym dictionaries are organized alphabetically.

Most repeat the list of synonyms under each word.[29][30][31][32]

Some designate a principal entry for each concept and cross-reference it.[33][34][35]

A third system interfiles words and conceptual headings. Francis March’s Thesaurus Dictionary gives for liability: CONTINGENCY, CREDIT–DEBT, DUTY–DERELICTION, LIBERTY–SUBJECTION, MONEY, each of which is a conceptual heading.[36] The CREDIT—DEBT article has multiple subheadings, including Nouns of Agent, Verbs, Verbal Expressions, etc. Under each are listed synonyms with brief definitions, e.g. «Credit. Transference of property on promise of future payment.» The conceptual headings are not organized into a taxonomy.

Benjamin Lafaye’s Synonymes français (1841) is organized around morphologically related families of synonyms (e.g. logis, logement),[37] and his Dictionnaire des synonymes de la langue française (1858) is mostly alphabetical, but also includes a section on morphologically related synonyms, which is organized by prefix, suffix, or construction.[11]

Contrasting senses[edit]

Before Roget, most thesauri and dictionary synonym notes included discussions of the differences among near-synonyms, as do some modern ones.[32][31][30][5]

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms is a stand-alone modern English synonym dictionary that does discuss differences.[33] In addition, many general English dictionaries include synonym notes.

Several modern synonym dictionaries in French are primarily devoted to discussing the precise demarcations among synonyms.[38][11]

Additional elements[edit]

Some include short definitions.[36]

Some give illustrative phrases.[32]

Some include lists of objects within the category (hyponyms), e.g. breeds of dogs.[32]

Bilingual[edit]

Bilingual synonym dictionaries are designed for language learners. One such dictionary gives various French words listed alphabetically, with an English translation and an example of use.[39] Another one is organized taxonomically with examples, translations, and some usage notes.[40]

Information science and natural language processing[edit]

In library and information science, a thesaurus is a kind of controlled vocabulary.

A thesaurus can form part of an ontology and be represented in the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS).[41]

Thesauri are used in natural language processing for word-sense disambiguation[42] and text simplification for machine translation systems.[43]

See also[edit]

  • Conceptual dictionary

Bibliography[edit]

  • W.E. Collinson, «Comparative Synonymics: Some Principles and Illustrations», Transactions of the Philological Society 38:1:54–77, November 1939, doi:10.1111/j.1467-968X.1939.tb00202.x
  • Gerda Hassler, «Lafaye’s Dictionnaire des synonymes in the History of Semantics» in Sheli Embleton, John E. Joseph, Hans-Josef Hiederehe, The Emergence of the Modern Language Sciences, John Benjamins 1999, ISBN 1556197594, p. 1:27–40
  • Werner Hüllen, «Roget’s Thesaurus, deconstructed» in Historical Dictionaries and Historical Dictionary Research, papers from the International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology, University of Leicester, 2002, Max Niemeyer Verlag 2004, ISBN 3484391235, p. 83–94
  • Werner Hüllen, A history of Roget’s thesaurus : origins, development, and design, Oxford University Press 2004, ISBN 0199254729
  • Werner Hüllen, Networks and Knowledge in Roget’s Thesaurus, Oxford, January 2009, doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553235.001.0001, ISBN 0199553238
  • Gertrude E. Noyes, «The Beginnings of the Study of Synonyms in England», Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (PMLA) 66:6:951–970 (December 1951) doi:10.2307/460151 JSTOR 460151
  • Eric Stanley, «Polysemy and Synonymy and how these Concepts were Understood from the Eighteenth Century onwards in Treatises, and Applied in Dictionaries of English» in Historical Dictionaries and Historical Dictionary Research, papers from the International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology, University of Leicester, 2002, Max Niemeyer Verlag 2004, ISBN 3484391235, p. 157–184

References[edit]

  1. ^ «thesaurus, n.», OED Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 2023-01-21
  2. ^ a b Oxford thesaurus of English. Maurice Waite (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2009. ISBN 978-0-19-956081-3. OCLC 321014234.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ Roget, Peter. 1852. Thesaurus of English Language Words and Phrases.
  4. ^ The Merriam-Webster thesaurus. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster. 2005. ISBN 978-0-87779-637-4. OCLC 57506786.
  5. ^ a b American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011, ISBN 9780547041018, p. xxvii
  6. ^ Edwin L. Battistella, «Beware the thesaurus», OUPblog, «Oxford University Press’s Academic Insights for the Thinking World», February 11, 2018
  7. ^ a b c «thesaurus». Online Etymology Dictionary.
  8. ^ R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 548.
  9. ^ a b Oxford English Dictionary s.v.
  10. ^ Embleton
  11. ^ a b c B. Lafaye, Dictionnaire des synonymes de la langue française, Hachette 1869, 3rd edition
  12. ^ John Wilkins, An Essay Towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language, London 1668 full text
  13. ^ John Wilkins, William Lloyd (anonymously), An Alphabetical Dictionary Wherein all English Words According to their Various Significations, Are either referred to their Places in the Philosophical Tables, Or explained by such Words as are in those Tables, London 1668 full text
  14. ^ Natascia Leonardi, «An Analysis of a Seventeenth Century Conceptual Dictionary with an Alphabetical List of Entries and a Network Definition Structure: John Wilkins’ and William Lloyd’s An Alphabetical Dictionary (1668)» in Historical Dictionaries and Historical Dictionary Research, papers from the International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology, University of Leicester, 2002, Max Niemeyer Verlag 2004, ISBN 3484391235, p. 39-52
  15. ^ Gabriel Girard, La Justesse de la langue françoise, ou les différentes significations des mots qui passent pour synonymes, Paris 1718, full text
  16. ^ John Trusler (anonymously), The Difference between Words esteemed Synonyms, in the English Language; and the proper choice of them determined, London, 1766 full text
  17. ^ Hester Lynch Piozzi, British Synonymy; or, an Attempt Regulating the Choice of Words in Familiar Conversation, Dublin 1794 full text
  18. ^ James Leslie, Dictionary of the Synonymous Words and Technical Terms in the English Language, Edinburgh, 1806 full text
  19. ^ George Crabb, English Synonyms Explained, in Alphabetical Order with Copious Illustrations and Examples Drawn from the Best Writers, 2nd edition, London 1818 full text
  20. ^ Hüllen, Werner (2003). «Introduction — Oxford Scholarship». oxfordscholarship.com. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199254729.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-925472-9. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  21. ^ Roget, P. M. (1982). «Prefact to the first edition, 1852». In Lloyd, Susan M. (ed.). Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (New ed.). Harlow: Longman. p. xix.
  22. ^ Peter Mark Roget, Thesaurus of English words and phrases, classified so as to facilitate the expression of ideas, 1853, V.ii.iv, p. 204
  23. ^ Roget, op.cit. p. xxvi
  24. ^ Roget, op.cit. p. 349
  25. ^ e.g., George Davidson, ed., Thesaurus of English words and phrases (150th Anniversary Edition), Penguin, 2002, ISBN 0141004428, p. 454
  26. ^ Barbara Ann Kipfer, ed., Roget’s International Thesaurus, 7th edition, Collins Reference, 2010, ISBN 9780061715228
  27. ^ Daniel Péchoin, Thésaurus Larousse, Larousse 1991, ISBN 9782033201074
  28. ^ Christian Kay, Jane Roberts, Michael Samuels, Irené Wotherspoon, Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press 2009, ISBN 9780199208999, p. ix
  29. ^ Longman Synonym Dictionary, Rodale Press and Longman Group, 1986, ISBN 0582893224
  30. ^ a b Charlton Laird, Michael Agnes, eds., Webster’s New World Roget’s A-Z Thesaurus, Macmillan USA, 3rd edition, 1971, ISBN 0028632818
  31. ^ a b Christine A. Lindberg, The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English, Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN 0195133757
  32. ^ a b c d Oxford Thesaurus of English, 3rd edition, 2009, ISBN 9780199560813
  33. ^ a b Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms : Choose Words with Precision, 1994, ISBN 0877799067 uses an asterisk
  34. ^ Henri Bertaud du Chazaud, Dictionnaire de synonyms et contraires, Le Robert «Les Usuels», 1998, ISBN 2850364568
  35. ^ Roger Boussinot, Dictionnaire des synonymes, analogies et antonymes, Bordas 1981, ISBN 2040120092
  36. ^ a b
    Francis Andrew March, Francis A. March, Jr., March’s Thesaurus and Dictionary of the English Language (issued under the editorial supervision of Norman Cousins), Doubleday, 1968, p. 598 full text, 1906 edition
  37. ^ Pierre Benjamin Lafaye, Synonymes français, Paris 1841 full text
  38. ^ Henri Bénac, Dictionnaire des synonymes, Hachette 1956, ISBN 2010112199 (1982 edition)
  39. ^ R.E. Batchelor, M.H. Offord, Using French Synonyms, Cambridge University Press, 1993, ISBN 0521372771
  40. ^ Marie-Noëlle Lamy, The Cambridge French-English Thesaurus, Cambridge University Press, 1998, ISBN 0521563488
  41. ^ Miles, Alistair; Bechhofer, Sean (2009). «SKOS simple knowledge organization system reference». W3C Recommendation. 18: W3C.
  42. ^ Yarowsky, David. «Word-sense disambiguation using statistical models of Roget’s categories trained on large corpora.» Proceedings of the 14th conference on Computational linguistics-Volume 2. Association for Computational Linguistics, 1992.
  43. ^ Siddharthan, Advaith. «An architecture for a text simplification system.» Language Engineering Conference, 2002. Proceedings. IEEE, 2002.

External links[edit]

  • The dictionary definition of thesaurus at Wiktionary
  • English Thesauri at Curlie
  • OneLook Thesaurus in OneLook online
Источник

Search more than 275,000 synonyms, antonyms, related words, and idiomatic phrases. The thesaurus is more than just a list of synonyms; it is your guide to more precise and effective use of language.

1

a

: a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts

especially

: a book of words and their synonyms

b

: a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval

Did you know?

In the early 19th century, archaeologists borrowed the Latin word thesaurus to denote an ancient treasury, such as that in a temple. Soon after, the word was metaphorically applied to a book containing a treasury of words or information about a particular field. In 1852, the English scholar Peter Mark Roget published his Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, in which he listed a treasury of semantically related words organized into numerous categories. This work led to the common acceptance of the term thesaurus to refer to «a book of words and their synonyms.» The word developed another meaning in the 1950s, when thesaurus began being used in the field of word processing to refer to a list of related terms used for indexing and retrieval.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The thesaurus!


—Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 25 Aug. 2022




Then somebody stole my thesaurus.


—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2022




Somebody hand me a thesaurus.


—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 10 Mar. 2021




Accordingly, to try to describe the near $110 billion the US has pledged to Ukraine in the last year sends one scrambling for a thesaurus.


—Thomas Sadoski, CNN, 2 Mar. 2023




The novels McCarthy published in 2022, at the age of 89, permanently resolve the question of whether McCarthy is a great novelist, or Louis L’Amour with a thesaurus.


—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2022




So why does this paper seem to have been co-written by a thesaurus?


—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2021




Joniak might need a thesaurus as Justin Fields’ career takes flight for the Bears.


—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022




After Jokic scorched the Spurs again in October for 32 points and 16 rebounds in a 102-96 Nuggets win in Denver, coach Gregg Popovich exhausted his thesaurus describing the 26-year-old’s greatness.


—Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Dec. 2021


See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘thesaurus.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, treasure, collection, from Greek thēsauros

First Known Use

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of thesaurus was
circa 1823

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Dictionary Entries Near thesaurus

Cite this Entry

“Thesaurus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesaurus. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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Источник

Peter Mark Roget, author of the first thesaurus.

A thesaurus is a dictionary type book of words that are organized by concepts and categories. It includes synonyms, related words, and/or antonyms. While dictionaries give definitions and pronunciations, thesauri usually do not. A thesaurus presents conceptually similar, broader, narrower, related, and contrasted terms. There are two types of thesauri: one for general use and another for the use in specific area such as medicine, arts, music, and others.

In information science, a thesaurus is a collection of controlled vocabularies which are used for indexing information. Thesaurus databases are generally arranged hierarchically by themes and topics. Such a thesaurus places each term in context, allowing a user, for example, to distinguish between «bureau» the office and «bureau» the furniture. A thesaurus of this type is often used as the basis of an index for online material.

In information technology, a thesaurus represents a database or list of semantically orthogonal topical search keys. In the field of Artificial Intelligence, a thesaurus may sometimes be referred to as an ontology.

Etymology

Did you know?

The word «thesaurus» comes from a Greek word meaning «treasury»

The word «thesaurus» is derived from sixteenth-century New Latin, in turn from Latin thesaurus, from ancient Greek θησαυρός thesauros, meaning «storehouse» or «treasury» (and thus the medieval rank of thesaurer was a synonym for treasurer).[1]

Definition

A formal definition of a thesaurus designed for indexing and information retrieval is:

  • a list of every important term (single-word or multi-word) in a given domain of knowledge; and
  • a set of related terms for each term in the list.

As such, it is a list of subject headings and cross-references used in the filing and retrieval of documents.

The National Information Standards Organization defines a thesaurus as:

A controlled vocabulary arranged in a known order and structured so that the various relationships among terms are displayed clearly and identified by standardized relationship indicators. Relationship indicators should be employed reciprocally.[2]

Terms are the basic semantic units for conveying concepts. They are usually single-word nouns, since nouns are the most concrete part of speech. Verbs can be converted to nouns—»cleans» to «cleaning,» «reads» to «reading,» and so on. Adjectives and adverbs, however, seldom convey any meaning useful for indexing. When a term is ambiguous, a “scope note” can be added to ensure consistency, and give direction on how to interpret the term. Not every term needs a scope note, but their presence is of considerable help in using a thesaurus correctly and reaching a correct understanding of the given field of knowledge.

Term relationships

«Term relationships» are links between terms. These relationships can be divided into three types: hierarchical, equivalency or associative.

Hierarchical

Hierarchical relationships are used to indicate terms which are narrower and broader in scope. A «Broader Term» (BT) is a more general term, e.g. “Apparatus” is a generalization of “Computers.” Reciprocally, a Narrower Term (NT) is a more specific term, e.g. “Digital Computer” is a specialization of “Computer.” BT and NT are reciprocals; a broader term necessarily implies at least one other term which is narrower. BT and NT are used to indicate class relationships, as well as part-whole relationships.

Equivalency

The equivalency relationship is used primarily to connect synonyms and near-synonyms. Use (USE) and Used For (UF) indicators are used when an authorized term is to be used for another, unauthorized, term; for example, the entry for the authorized term «Frequency» could have the indicator «UF Pitch.» Reciprocally, the entry for the unauthorized term «Pitch» would have the indicator «USE Frequency.» Used For (UF) terms are often called «entry points,» «lead-in terms,» or «non-preferred terms,» pointing to the authorized term (also referred to as the Preferred Term or Descriptor) that has been chosen to stand for the concept. As such, their presence in text can be use by automated indexing software to suggest the Preferred Term being used as an Indexing Term.

Associative

Associative relationships are used to connect two related terms whose relationship is neither hierarchical nor equivalent. This relationship is described by the indicator «Related Term» (RT). The way the term «Cybernetics» is related to the term «Computers» is an example of such a relationship. Associative relationships should be applied with caution, since excessive use of RTs will reduce specificity in searches. Consider the following: if the typical user is searching with term «A,» would they also want resources tagged with term «B»? If the answer is no, then an associative relationship should not be established.

Types of Thesaurus

There are two types of thesauri: general and special.

General

A number of general thesauri are available, including:

  • Thesaurus of English Words & Phrases (ed. P. Roget); ISBN 0-06-272037-6
  • The Synonym Finder (ed. J. I. Rodale); ISBN 0-87857-236-8
  • Webster’s New World Thesaurus (ed. C. Laird); ISBN 0-671-51983-2
  • Oxford American Desk Thesaurus (ed. C. Lindberg); ISBN 0-19-512674-2
  • Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier; ISBN 0-679-40030-3, a blend of thesaurus, dictionary, and glossary.

An important thesaurus project of recent years is the Historical Thesaurus of English (HTE), currently in progress at the University of Glasgow. The HTE, which started in 1964, will be a complete database of all the words in the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, arranged by semantic field and date. In this way, the HTE arranges the whole vocabulary of English from the earliest written records (in Anglo-Saxon) to the present alongside types and dates of use. As a historical thesaurus, it will be the first for any of the world’s languages. The HTE project has already produced the Thesaurus of Old English,[3] which is derived from the whole HTE database.[4]

Specialized

A specialized thesaurus is designed for particular user groups; discipline specific vocabularies and professional terms are selected and arranged. A number of thesauri are available including:

  • NAL Agricultural Thesaurus, (United States National Agricultural Library, United States Department of Agriculture)
  • Evaluation Thesaurus (by. M. Scriven); ISBN 0-8039-4364-4
  • Great Song Thesaurus (by R. Lax & F. Smith); ISBN 0-19-505408-3
  • Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (APA); ISBN 1-55798-775-0
  • Clinician’s Thesaurus, (by E.Zuckerman); ISBN 1-57230-569-X
  • Art and Architecture Thesaurus, (Getty Institute)
  • AGROVOC Thesaurus, (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
  • GEneral Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus, (European Environment Agency)

Online and electronic thesaurus

Online thesaurus

The online thesaurus is becoming popular due to the search behavioral changes of users. Advantages of an online thesaurus over print thesaurus are: search capability from multiple reference sources including etymological dictionary, dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, web source index, and others; efficient and fast retrieval with a finger tip; cut-and-past capability of findings.

Online reference sources are often free for users since they are financially supported by advertisement income.

Electronic dictionary

An electronic dictionary is a compact electronic device, operated by a battery. Users can carry with them and use it without going online. The electronic dictionary usually includes a thesaurus as well as a number of references such as medical help book, foreign language phrase handbook, and others. The small devise often include from five to ten reference books.

Standards

The ANSI/NISO Z39.19 Standard of 2005 defines guidelines and conventions for the format, construction, testing, maintenance, and management of monolingual controlled vocabularies including lists, synonym rings, taxonomies, and thesauri.[5]

For multilingual vocabularies, the ISO 5964 Guidelines for the establishment and development of multilingual thesauri can be applied.

See also

  • Controlled vocabulary
  • Dictionary
  • Information science
  • Writing

Notes

  1. ↑ Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988).
  2. ↑ ANSI/NISO Z39.19 — 2005 Guidelines for the Construction, Format and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies, NISO. ISBN 1-880124-65-3 Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  3. ↑ Old English Newsletter Online, Volume 38.3, Spring 2005. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  4. ↑ The HTE database Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  5. ↑ ANSI/NISO Z39.19 — 2005 Guidelines for the Construction, Format and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies, NISO. ISBN 1-880124-65-3 Retrieved July 18, 2008.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Books and journals

  • Broughton, Vanda. Essential Thesaurus Construction. London: Facet, 2006. ISBN 185604565X ISBN 9781856045650
  • Knapp, Sara D.The Contemporary Thesaurus of Search Terms and Synonyms: A Guide for Natural Language Computer Searching. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 2000.
  • Meltzer, Peter E. The Thinker’s Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words. Oak Park, Ill: Marion Street Press, 2005.
  • Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988. ISBN 0395483174 ISBN 9780395483176

Online sources

  • ANSI/NISO Z39.19 — 2005 Guidelines for the Construction, Format and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies, NISO. ISBN 1-880124-65-3 Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  • The HTE database. Retrieved July 18, 2008

External links

All links retrieved February 6, 2020.

  • Thesaurus.com free online thesaurus
  • Thesaurus.net free online thesaurus

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Источник

  • Top Definitions
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • More About Thesaurus
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

[ thi-sawr—uhs ]

/ θɪˈsɔr əs /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

noun, plural the·sau·rus·es, the·sau·ri [-sawr-ahy]. /-ˈsɔr aɪ/.

a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms, such as the online Thesaurus.com.

any dictionary, encyclopedia, or other comprehensive reference book.

a storehouse, repository, or treasury.

Computers.

  1. an index to information stored in a computer, consisting of a comprehensive list of subjects concerning which information may be retrieved by using the proper key terms.
  2. a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms stored in memory for use in word processing.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Origin of thesaurus

First recorded in 1730–40; from Latin thēsaurus, from Greek thēsaurós “treasure, treasury”

Words nearby thesaurus

salt of the earth, the, the Salvation Army, same old story, the, Satin Slipper, The, thesaurismosis, thesaurus, Thesaurus.com, Scarlet Letter, The, School for Scandal, The, the score, Scream, The

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT THESAURUS

What is a thesaurus?

A thesaurus is a book or program that lists synonyms and antonyms of words.

A thesaurus can be a book you can find in a library, a website (such as Thesaurus.com), or a database stored in a word processor (such as the one you can find in Microsoft Word). The plural of thesaurus is thesauruses or thesauri.

A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word. For example, huge, gigantic, massive, and large are synonyms of the word big. An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. Small, tiny, and little are antonyms of the word big.

Thesauri are useful when you want to avoid using the same word over and over or need a fancy word to describe something as being “not good” or “not fun.”

Why is thesaurus important?

The first records of the term thesaurus come from around 1730. It ultimately comes from the Greek thēsaurós, meaning “treasure” or “treasury.” While the word thesaurus can mean a “treasury” or “storehouse,” this usage is very rare. Instead, thesaurus almost always refers to books, websites, or programs that are treasuries of synonyms and antonyms.

Repeatedly using the same word over and over is likely to bore or disinterest a reader. Even experienced authors like to keep a thesaurus handy to spice up their writing and possibly learn some new interesting words. Luckily, a fantastic thesaurus is readily available for anyone to use at Thesaurus.com.

Did you know … ?

British doctor Peter Mark Roget (1779–1869) is credited as being the writer of the first modern thesaurus. Roget’s Thesaurus is still updated and published today, and National Thesaurus Day is held on January 18, Roget’s birthday.

What are real-life examples of thesaurus?

You can usually find a thesaurus like the one pictured below in your local library or bookstore. Alternatively, you can visit Thesaurus.com for all of your synonym-finding needs!

Most people know that a thesaurus is the tool to use if you need to find synonyms.

Use a thesaurus when you need it like a humble Hufflepuff. https://t.co/0DcsSceeG9

— Thesaurus.com (@thesauruscom) August 14, 2018

To whoever stole my thesaurus, you made my day bad. I hope bad things happen to you. You’re a bad person.

— Pundamentalism (@Pundamentalism) April 12, 2016

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

A thesaurus lists homonyms and pseudonyms of words.

Words related to thesaurus

How to use thesaurus in a sentence

  • A thesaurus is a handy thing, but sometimes seemingly tiny differences in meaning can actually have a huge impact.

  • Instead, day after day I turn to all the wonderful dictionaries, thesauruses, and weird twists on them that are out there on the internet.

  • Had Palin scoured a thesaurus, she could not have come up with a more inflammatory phrase.

  • Hickes’ transcript of the Calendar (Thesaurus, I, 203) shows an average of one error in every six lines.

  • Thus the ancient Runic inscriptions, as we gather from Hickes’s Thesaurus, are in the form of a knot.

  • The new thought of a treasury of merits (thesaurus meritorum) introduced further changes.

  • The work, however, on which his fame as a scholar is most surely based is the Thesaurus Graecae linguae.

  • John Starke himself, with his Thesaurus of Horror, never penned anything so deliciously frightful.

British Dictionary definitions for thesaurus

noun plural -ruses or -ri (-raɪ)

a book containing systematized lists of synonyms and related words

a dictionary of selected words or topics

rare a treasury

Word Origin for thesaurus

C18: from Latin, Greek: treasure

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Источник

Meaning thesaurus

What does thesaurus mean? Here you find 33 meanings of the word thesaurus. You can also add a definition of thesaurus yourself

1

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Relationships Related Term:  authority file controlled vocabulary cross-reference Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Thesauri n. (thesauruses, thesauri, pl.) ~ 1. [..]

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thesaurus

A thesaurus is a tool that associates related terms, and thesaurus terms assist in locating an existing data element.

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thesaurus

1823, «treasury, storehouse,» from Latin thesaurus «treasury, a hoard, a treasure, something laid up,» figuratively «repository, collection,» from Greek thesauros «a [..]

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thesaurus

noun dictionary of synonyms and antonyms

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thesaurus

a collection of synonyms defined to help handle the wide variety of terminology people may use in indicating the same objects or commands, especially useful in search engines.

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thesaurus

[revision in progress] treasury, storehouse; a book of words or information about a particular field or set of concepts; especially, a book of words and their synonyms; a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval; from Latin: tre [..]

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thesaurus

A thesaurus is a book that organises words by categories and concepts, so synonyms and near-synonyms will be grouped together. See Also: Dictionary; Dictionary Types; Glossary; Philology; Semant [..]

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thesaurus

A list of words showing similarities, differences, dependencies, and other relationships to each other.

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thesaurus

treasure, horde / store-room, treasury

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thesaurus

A book of synonyms and near-synonyms in a written language, usually arranged conceptually, although dictionary arrangement is not uncommon. The first thesaurus of the English language, published in 18 [..]

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thesaurus

An official list of all the subject headings or descriptors used to «control» the indexing terms used in a particular database, catalog, or index. The thesaurus for the CSULA OPAC is the Library of Congress Subject Headings, available in print (in five big red volumes) located at the Reference Desk (1st Floor, Library North).

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thesaurus

Synonym directory search engines use to help increase return relevancy.

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thesaurus

A classification tool comprising an alphabetical presentation of a controlled list of terms linked together by semantic, hierarchical, associative or equivalence relationships. In a thesaurus, the meaning of a term is specified and relationships to other terms are shown. A thesaurus should provide sufficient entry points to allow users to navigate [..]

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thesaurus

A thesaurus is useful to researchers because it identifies which term among available synonyms has been used by the database compilers to describe a topic. Some databases provide a searchable thesauru [..]

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thesaurus

A type of relational controlled vocabulary which provides a list of terms, with specific relationships between the terms. Related GuideSynonyms: Thesauri

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thesaurus

A list of the subject headings used in a catalog, index, or database, e.g. the controlled vocabulary.

17

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thesaurus

(n) a book containing a classified list of synonyms

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thesaurus

N M treasure chamber/vault/repository; treasure; hoard; collected precious objects

19

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thesaurus

A structured vocabulary make up of names, words, and other information, typically including synonyms and/or hierarchical relationships for the purpose of cross-referencing in order to organize a colle [..]

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thesaurus

A kind of dictionary which consists of words grouped according to similarity in meaning.

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thesaurus

A thesaurus is a set of synonyms or related terms for a given word or description, unlike a taxonomy, it may be polyhierarchical and involve complex relationships such as broader or narrower terms. Th [..]

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thesaurus

A linguistic tool that relates words by meaning.

23

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thesaurus

a book or a list that contains words that have similar meanings

24

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thesaurus

A book of synonyms.

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thesaurus

  A dictionary, encyclopedia, or other comprehensive reference book, especially a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. A collection of words or concepts relating to, or associated with, a particular [..]

26

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thesaurus

a specialized authority list of terms used with automated information retrieval systems; very similar to a list of subject headings. (C&C)

27

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thesaurus

A publication, usually in the form of a book, that provides synonyms (and sometimes antonyms) for the words of a given language.

(«Roget» is the leading brand name for a print English thesaurus» [..]

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thesaurus

if:||| :| :| :| :| :| :| :| : }}}
|-
|

|}

{{documentation}}

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thesaurus

Redirect

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thesaurus

A list of terms which serves as a standardized or controlled vocabulary for identifying, locating, and retrieving information." (Definition from New York Public Library) 

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thesaurus

In general usage, a thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning (containing synonyms and sometimes antonyms), in contrast to a dictionary, which [..]

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thesaurus

Thesaurus is an album by American composer/arranger/pianist Clare Fischer, recorded and released in 1969 by Atlantic Records. Reissued in 1979 as ‘Twas Only Yesterday by Discovery Records, and on CD, [..]

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thesaurus

In the context of information retrieval, a thesaurus (plural: «thesauri») is a form of controlled vocabulary that seeks to dictate semantic manifestations of metadata in the indexing of content object [..]

Dictionary.university is a dictionary written by people like you and me.
Please help and add a word. All sort of words are welcome!

Add meaning

Источник
For the Wiktionary thesaurus, see Wiktionary:Thesaurus

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

16th century, from Latin thēsaurus, from Ancient Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “storehouse, treasure”); its current English usage/meaning was established soon after the publication of Peter Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in 1852. Doublet of treasure.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /θɪˈsɔːɹəs/
  • Rhymes: -ɔːɹəs

Noun[edit]

thesaurus (plural thesauri or thesauruses)

  1. A publication, traditionally in the form of a book and now often online, that provides synonyms (and sometimes antonyms and other semantic relations) for the words of a given language.

    «Roget» is the leading brand name for a print English thesaurus that lists words under general concepts rather than just close synonyms.

  2. (archaic) A dictionary or encyclopedia.
  3. (information science) A hierarchy of subject headings — canonic titles of themes and topics, the titles serving as search keys.

Synonyms[edit]

  • synonymicon

Derived terms[edit]

  • metathesaurus
  • thesaural

Translations[edit]

book of synonyms

  • Arabic: مَكْنَز‎ m (maknaz)
  • Armenian: հոմանիշների բառարան (homanišneri baṙaran), թեզաուրուս (hy) (tʿezaurus) (rare), հոմանիշարան (homanišaran) (rare)
  • Bulgarian: синони́мен ре́чник m (sinonímen réčnik)
  • Catalan: diccionari de sinònims
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 分類詞詞典／分类词词典 (fēnlèicí cídiǎn)
  • Czech: tezaurus m
  • Danish: begrebsordbog c, saggruppeordbog c, tesaurus, synonymordbog c
  • Dutch: thesaurus (nl) m, synoniemenboek n
  • Dzongkha: མངོན་བརྗོད (mngon brjod)
  • Esperanto: sinonimaro, tezaŭro (eo),
  • Faroese: samheitabók f
  • Finnish: synonyymisanakirja (fi), käsitesanakirja
  • French: dictionnaire des synonymes (fr), thésaurus (fr) m, dictionnaire de notions, dictionnaire par ordre de matières
  • Galician: dicionario de sinónimos m
  • Georgian: თეზაურუსი (tezaurusi), სინონიმების ლექსიკონი (sinonimebis leksiḳoni)
  • German: Thesaurus (de) m, Begriffswörterbuch n, Sachgruppenwörterbuch n
  • Greek: θησαυρός (el) m (thisavrós)
  • Hebrew: אֶגְרוֹן‎ (he) m (egrón)
  • Hungarian: szinonimaszótár (hu), tézaurusz, tematikus szókincstár
  • Icelandic: hugtakaorðabók f
  • Ido: tezauro
  • Indonesian: tesaurus (id)
  • Irish: stórchiste m
  • Italian: dizionario dei sinonimi, tesoro (it) m
  • Japanese: シソーラス (ja) (shisōrasu), 類語辞典 (るいごじ​てん, ruigo jiten)
  • Khmer: កំរងវេវចនៈសព្ទ (kɑmrɑɑng veevĕəʼcaʼnaʼ sap)
  • Korean: 유의어 사전(類義語辭典) (yuuieo sajeon)
  • Latvian: tēzaurs m
  • Lithuanian: tezauras m, sinonimų žodynas m
  • Macedonian: тезаурус m (tezaurus), синони́мен речник m (sinonímen rečnik)
  • Malay: tesaurus (ms)
  • Maori: puna kupu taurite, punakupu
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: begrepsordbok m or f, begrepsklasseordbok m or f, omgrepsordbok m or f, omgrepsklasseordbok m or f, tesaurus, synonymordbok m or f
  • Occitan: diccionari (oc) m
  • Polish: tezaurus (pl) m inan, słownik wyrazów bliskoznacznych m, słownik synonimów m
  • Portuguese: dicionário de sinónimos m (Portugal), dicionário de sinônimos m (Brazil), tesauro (pt) m, thesaurus (pt) m
  • Romanian: dicționar de sinonime n
  • Russian: теза́урус (ru) m (tɛzáurus), слова́рь сино́нимов m (slovárʹ sinónimov)
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-fhaclair m
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: речник синонима m, теза̀урус m
    Roman: rečnik sinonima m, tezàurus (sh) m
  • Sinhalese: සමාන පද නාමාවලිය (samāna pada nāmāwaliya)
  • Slovak: tezaurus m
  • Spanish: diccionario de sinónimos m, tesoro (es) m
  • Swedish: begreppsordbok (sv) c, begreppsklassordbok, tesaurus (sv) c, synonymordbok (sv) c
  • Tagalog: talasimpanan
  • Thai: อรรถาภิธาน (th) (àt-tǎa-pí-taan)
  • Turkish: eşanlamlılar sözlüğü, tesarus
  • Welsh: thesawrws (cy)

See also[edit]

  • ontology
  • Wiktionary’s thesaurus
  • Appendix:Roget’s thesaurus classification
  • Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus
  • Appendix:Moby Thesaurus II

Further reading[edit]

  • thesaurus in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • “thesaurus”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
  • OneLook Thesaurus in OneLook, 2023

Latin[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • thēnsaurus
  • tēsaurus, tēsōrus (Low Latin)

Etymology[edit]

From Ancient Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “storehouse, treasure”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /tʰeːˈsau̯.rus/, [t̪ʰeːˈs̠äu̯rʊs̠]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /teˈsau̯.rus/, [t̪eˈs̬äːu̯rus]

Noun[edit]

thēsaurus m (genitive thēsaurī); second declension

  1. treasure, hoard
    • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Daniel 1:2
      […] et vasa intulit in domum thesauri dei sui

      « […] and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.»
  2. a dear friend, loved one
  3. a vault for treasure
  4. chest, strongbox
  5. repository, collection

Declension[edit]

Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative thēsaurus thēsaurī
Genitive thēsaurī thēsaurōrum
Dative thēsaurō thēsaurīs
Accusative thēsaurum thēsaurōs
Ablative thēsaurō thēsaurīs
Vocative thēsaure thēsaurī

Derived terms[edit]

  • thēsaurārius
  • thēsaurensis
  • thēsaurizātor
  • thēsaurizō

Descendants[edit]

  • → Albanian: thesar
  • Catalan: tresor, → tesaurus
  • → English: thesaurus
    • → Welsh: thesawrws
  • → French: thésaurus
  • → German: Thesaurus
  • Italian: tesauro, tesoro
  • Old French: tresor
    • Middle French: thresor
      • French: trésor
    • Walloon: trezôr
    • → Middle English: tresour
      • English: treasure
      • Scots: treisur
    • → Esperanto: trezoro
    • → German: Tresor
      • → Czech: trezor
      • → Serbo-Croatian: trèzōr/трѐзо̄р
    • → Ido: trezoro
    • → Interlingue: tresor
    • → Ladino: trezoro
    • → Occitan: tresaur
    • → Welsh: trysor
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: tesouro
    • Galician: tesouro
    • Portuguese: tesouro, tesoiro
  • Piedmontese: tesòr
  • → Portuguese: tesauro
  • Romanian: tezaur
  • Spanish: tesoro, → tesauro

References[edit]

  • “thesaurus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “thesaurus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • thesaurus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • thesaurus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
  • “thesaurus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “thesaurus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Portuguese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /teˈzaw.ɾus/ [teˈzaʊ̯.ɾus]
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /teˈzaw.ɾuʃ/ [teˈzaʊ̯.ɾuʃ]
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /tɨˈzaw.ɾuʃ/

Noun[edit]

thesaurus m (plural thesauri or thesaurus)

  1. thesaurus (dictionary of synonyms)
    Synonyms: tesauro, (Portugal) dicionário de sinónimos, (Brazil) dicionário de sinônimos
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  • 1
    thesaurus

    thesaurus [θɪˊsɔ:rəs]

    n

    (

    pl

    -ri, -ses [-ɪz])

    1) слова́рь; энциклопе́дия, спра́вочник

    2)

    амер.

    слова́рь сино́нимов или анто́нимов

    3) темати́ческий или идеологи́ческий слова́рь, теза́урус

    4)

    редк.

    сокро́вищница, храни́лище (

    тж. перен.

    )

    Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > thesaurus

  • 2
    thesaurus

    Персональный Сократ > thesaurus

  • 3
    thesaurus

    Англо-русский синонимический словарь > thesaurus

  • 4
    thesaurus

    1. тезаурус
    2. информационно-поисковый тезаурус
    3. Информационно- поисковый тезаурус ИПТ

    информационно-поисковый тезаурус
    ИПТ
    Нормативный словарь дескрипторного информационно-поискового языка с зафиксированными в нем парадигматическими отношениями лексических единиц.
    Примечание
    Парадигматические отношения указывают общность или противопоставление значений и использования лексических единиц.
    [ГОСТ 7.74-96]

    Тематики

    • информационно-поисковые языки

    Синонимы

    • ИПТ

    EN

    • thesaurus

    DE

    • Thesaurus

    FR

    • thesaurus

    тезаурус
    Отдельная программа или функция в текстовых процессорах, содержащая слова и синонимы для их замены, которые используются при проверке орфографии.
    [ http://www.morepc.ru/dict/]
    тезаурус
    Свод знаков, терминов, кодов и отношений между ними, которые используются в процессе обмена сведениями, сообщениями. Чтобы содержание сообщения было понятно, оно должно содержать элементы, соответствующие Т. Например, если в сообщении есть какой-то термин, то в памяти получателя должно быть понятие, составляющее его смысловое значение (см. Информация, Семантический аспект информации). Конкретные Т., применяемые в разных информационных системах, отличаются способом отбора терминов, перечнем указываемых отношений между ними, способами задания этих отношений (синонимические ассоциативные связи, иерархические соотношения). Тезаурус систем экономического управления чрезвычайно широк. Но в рамках каждой конкретной функции управления, для каждого конкретного звена существуют весьма ограниченные комплексы понятий, которые составляют «узкие Т.» — словари. Они позволяют строить экономические сообщения кратко и четко, а главное, вводить их в ЭВМ для переработки. В АСУ такие словари подразделяются на две части — функциональную и информационную. В первой содержатся характеристики задач, операций и работ по управлению: указываются коды, обозначающие, например, для планово-экономической задачи, в какую функцию управления она входит, с какими другими задачами связана, периодичность решения. Во второй части словаря характерируются типы документов, используемые показатели и т.п. Для различных видов АСУ и отдельных подсистем создаются типовые эталонные Т., которые уточняются с учетом индивидуальных особенностей данной системы.
    [ http://slovar-lopatnikov.ru/]

    Тематики

    • информационные технологии в целом
    • экономика

    EN

    • thesaurus

    Англо-русский словарь нормативно-технической терминологии > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    English-Russian dictionary of mechanical engineering and automation > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    Patent terms dictionary > thesaurus

  • 7
    thesaurus

    [θi:ˈsɔ:rəs]

    thesaurus идеологический словарь, тезаурус thesaurus словарь; энциклопедия, справочник thesaurus (pl ri) сокровищница, хранилище (тж. перен.) thesaurus тезаурус

    English-Russian short dictionary > thesaurus

  • 8
    thesaurus

    English-Russian electronics dictionary > thesaurus

  • 9
    thesaurus

    Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    [θıʹsɔ:rəs]

    (pl -ri)

    1. сокровищница (

    перен.)

    2. 1) энциклопедия

    2) исчерпывающий словарь; тезаурус

    3) идеографический словарь, тезаурус

    НБАРС > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    1. n сокровищница

    2. n энциклопедия

    3. n исчерпывающий словарь; тезаурус

    4. n идеографический словарь, тезаурус

    Синонимический ряд:

    1. dictionary (noun) dictionary; glossary; lexicon; repository; storehouse; treasury; wordbook

    2. source (noun) encyclopedia; evidence; footnote; guidebook; informant; reference; source

    English-Russian base dictionary > thesaurus

  • 12
    thesaurus

    словарь; энциклопедия; тезаурус

    English-Russian big polytechnic dictionary > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    English-Russian big medical dictionary > thesaurus

  • 14
    thesaurus

    Англо-русский технический словарь > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    1. сокровищница;

    2. энциклопедия; тезаурус.

    * * *

    сущ.

    1) сокровищница;

    2) энциклопедия; тезаурус.

    Англо-русский словарь по социологии > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    [θɪ’sɔːrəs]

    2) Религия: сокровищница

    Универсальный англо-русский словарь > thesaurus

  • 17
    thesaurus

    [θɪ(:)`sɔːrəs]

    сокровищница, хранилище

    словарь; справочник, энциклопедия

    идеографический словарь, тезаурус

    Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь > thesaurus

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    thesaurus

    noun

    1) сокровищница, хранилище (

    тж. перен.

    )

    2) словарь; энциклопедия, справочник

    3) идеологический словарь, тезаурус

    * * *

    (n) идеографический словарь; исчерпывающий словарь; сокровищница; тезаурус; энциклопедия

    * * *

    сокровищница, хранилище

    * * *

    [the·sau·rus || θɪ’sɔːrəs]
    сокровищница, хранилище; энциклопедия, словарь, тематический словарь; справочник

    * * *

    казна

    казнохранилище

    словарь

    сокровищница

    справочник

    тезаурус

    хранилище

    энциклопедия

    * * *

    1) сокровищница, хранилище (тж. перен.)
    2) а) словарь
    б) идеографический словарь

    Новый англо-русский словарь > thesaurus

  • 19
    thesaurus

    словарь; энциклопедия; тезаурус

    Англо-русский словарь по полиграфии и издательскому делу > thesaurus

  • 20
    thesaurus

    словарь-справочник

    — 1. Книга слов и их синонимов. 2. Перечень документов для руководства и описания, обычно противоречащих для использования прав и правосудия. 3. Компьютерная проблема сохранения не принятых в компьютере данных. Формально неидентифицированные данные могут быть или не быть, и создание противоречивой структуры может быть возможной — см. также access terminology.

    Англо-русский словарь по кондиционированию и вентиляции > thesaurus

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См. также в других словарях:

  • Thesaurus — Thésaurus Voir « thésaurus » sur le Wiktionnaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • thésaurus — ou thesaurus [ tezɔrys ] n. m. • 1904; lat. thesaurus « trésor » ♦ Didact. 1 ♦ Recueil ou lexique de philologie ou d archéologie. 2 ♦ (mil. XXe; sous l infl. de l angl.) Doc., ling. Répertoire alphabétique de termes normalisés pour l analyse de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • thesaurus — thésaurus ou thesaurus [ tezɔrys ] n. m. • 1904; lat. thesaurus « trésor » ♦ Didact. 1 ♦ Recueil ou lexique de philologie ou d archéologie. 2 ♦ (mil. XXe; sous l infl. de l angl.) Doc., ling. Répertoire alphabétique de termes normalisés pour l… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • THESAURUS — pecunia in futuros usus recondita a privatis, ita ut neque memoria exstet, neque dominum habeat, l. 1. ff. de acquir. rer. dom. sive, ut definit M. Aurelius Cassiodorus, l. 6. Ep. 8. Depositiva pecunia, quae longâ temporis vetustate competentes… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Thesaurus — Thesaurus, palabra latina para tesoro, puede referirse a: Tesauro, listado de palabras. Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, instituto de investigación estadounidense. Thesaurus Linguae Latinae, diccionario de latín. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Thesaurus — Sm Schatzhaus, systematische Wortschatzsammlung per. Wortschatz fach. (19. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. thēsaurus, dieses aus gr. thēsaurós Vorrat, Schatz .    Ebenso ne. thesaurus, nfrz. thésaurer, nnorw. tesaurus; Tresor. lateinisch gr …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • thesaurus — index treasury Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • thesaurus — (n.) 1823, treasury, storehouse, from L. thesaurus treasury, treasure, from Gk. thesauros a treasure, treasury, storehouse, chest, from root of tithenai to put, to place. The meaning encyclopedia filled with information is from 1840, but existed… …   Etymology dictionary

  • thesaurus — A thesaurus (pronounced thǝ saw rǝs) is a dictionary organized to supply alternative words rather than to offer analytical explanations of what words mean. Because synonymy is such a complex phenomenon, most thesauruses can be, in their nature,… …   Modern English usage

  • Thesaurus — The*sau rus, n.; pl. {Thesauri}. [L. See {Treasure}.] A treasury or storehouse; hence, a repository, especially of knowledge; often applied to a comprehensive work, like a dictionary or cyclopedia. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thesaurus — (v. gr.), 1) Schatz von Geld u. Kostbarkeiten; daher Thesaurarios, Schatzmeister, s. Argentarius 2); auch 2) bildlich eine große Menge, Überfluß, z.B. Th. meritorum s. supererogationis, in der Katholischen Kirche die überflüssigen guten Werke der …   Pierer’s Universal-Lexikon

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The Interesting/Intriguing/Riveting History of the Thesaurus


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LanguageTool

National Thesaurus Day is January 18, so we wanted to share its interesting history and explain its importance when it comes to writing well.

A thesaurus provides countless synonyms.

Thesauruses provide invaluable synonyms that help significantly improve your writing.
History and Importance
  • The word thesaurus comes from the Greek word “thēsauros,” which means “treasure,” “treasury,” or “chest.”
  • Peter Mark Roget wrote the first modern thesaurus.
  • Thesauruses provide easy access to a seemingly endless number of synonyms.
  • Synonyms improve your writing because they help you avoid empty words and allow you to more accurately express yourself.

National Thesaurus Day

If you’re a word nerd like us, you might find yourself constantly searching for synonyms. You might even be curious about who created the thesaurus, when the first one was written, and how the word thesaurus came to be. In honor of National Thesaurus Day, which is celebrated in the United States on January 18, we decided to answer all your curiosities.

Nowadays, synonyms are just an online search away.

The first modern English thesaurus contained approximately 15,000 words.

Thesaurus—Its History and Etymology

The word thesaurus comes from the Latin word “thēsaurus,” which was derived from the Greek “thēsauros.” The literal meaning of the Greek origin word is “a treasure,” “treasury,” “storehouse,” or “chest.” In other words, a thesaurus is a book, or “treasure chest” of synonyms.

“On Synonyms” is the first known thesaurus, and dates back as far as the late 1st Century. It was written by Philo of Byblos, a Greek writer, grammarian, and historian.

In the 4th Century CE, an Indian poet and grammarian named Amara Sinha wrote his version of a thesaurus in Sanskrit (a classical language of South Asia) as a long poem. One can only imagine how an English version of this type of thesaurus might read.

Fast-forward to 1805, where a British doctor named Peter Mark Roget started compiling a list of words arranged by meaning. He completed and published the first modern thesaurus in 1852. This version of the thesaurus is still in circulation today. The original name of Roget’s thesaurus perfectly encapsulates the importance of thesauruses and the synonyms they provide—“Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Classified and Arranged So As to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition.”

Quick Tip

Synonyms enhance your writing. LanguageTool’s synonym function is intuitive and practical. All you have to do is double-click on a word to see all the possible alternatives you can use. It also picks up on common spelling and grammar mistakes, and suggests stylistic improvements.

On (the Importance of) Synonyms

When writing, you may get stuck trying to find the perfect way to express yourself. This is because certain words don’t carry the depth of the emotion, idea, or feeling you’re trying to articulate. This is when the thesaurus, and the seemingly infinite number of synonyms it provides, comes in handy.

Synonyms can make your writing more powerful by helping you avoid empty words like “really” and “very.” For example, let’s say you’re a realtor trying to close on a house. Instead of saying it has a “very beautiful” view of the lake, you can say:

The house has a stunning view of the lake.

The house has a picturesque view of the lake.

The house has a glorious view of the lake.

The house has an exquisite view of the lake.

These synonyms carry more strength than the overused alternative.

Here are a few more synonyms that elevate your writing:

Common adjectives Alternatives
Happy Cheerful, delighted, thrilled
Sad Distraught, devastated, gloomy
Angry Enraged, furious, livid
Small Tiny, petite, minute
Nice Charming, amicable, considerate
Big Massive, gigantic, colossal
Useful Beneficial, helpful, practical
Ugly Grotesque, monstrous, hideous
Great Astonishing, fabulous, stupendous

Finding Synonyms by Using Thesauri

Because Philo of Byblos created the first known thesaurus and Peter Mark Roget compiled the first modern thesaurus, we live in a world where synonyms are just an online search (or double-click) away. It’s an astonishing/amazing/astounding thing to be able to write more powerful/compelling/influential texts by accurately conveying what you’re thinking.

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Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can’t fake. I’m not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.

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section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD THESAURUS

From Latin, Greek: treasure.

info

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

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PRONUNCIATION OF THESAURUS

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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF THESAURUS

Thesaurus is a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES THESAURUS MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Thesaurus

In general usage, a thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning, in contrast to a dictionary, which provides definitions for words, and generally lists them in alphabetical order. The main purpose of such reference works is to help the user “to find the word, or words, by which idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed” – to quote Peter Mark Roget, architect of the best known thesaurus in the English language. Although including synonyms, a thesaurus should not be taken as a complete list of all the synonyms for a particular word. The entries are also designed for drawing distinctions between similar words and assisting in choosing exactly the right word. Unlike a dictionary, a thesaurus entry does not give the definition of words.


Definition of thesaurus in the English dictionary

The first definition of thesaurus in the dictionary is a book containing systematized lists of synonyms and related words. Other definition of thesaurus is a dictionary of selected words or topics. Thesaurus is also a treasury.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH THESAURUS

Synonyms and antonyms of thesaurus in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «THESAURUS»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «thesaurus» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «thesaurus» into 25 languages

online translator

TRANSLATION OF THESAURUS

Find out the translation of thesaurus to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of thesaurus from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «thesaurus» in English.

Translator English — Chinese


同义词汇编手册

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish


diccionario de sinónimos

570 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi


कोश

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic


المكنز

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian


тезаурус

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese


dicionário de sinônimos

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali


জ্ঞানভাণ্ডার

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French


dictionnaire synonymique

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay


Kamus

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese


類語辞典

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean


유의어 사전

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese


Thesaurus

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese


kho

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil


களஞ்சியத்தை

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi


ज्ञानकोश

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish


sözlük

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian


dizionario dei sinonimi

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish


tezaurus

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian


тезаурус

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian


tezaur

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek


θησαυρός

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans


tesourus

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish


tesaurus

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian


synonymordboken

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of thesaurus

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «THESAURUS»

The term «thesaurus» is very widely used and occupies the 14.387 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «thesaurus» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of thesaurus

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «thesaurus».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «THESAURUS» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «thesaurus» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «thesaurus» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about thesaurus

5 QUOTES WITH «THESAURUS»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word thesaurus.

No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you.

In all its myriad manifestations, the language of anti-Semitism through the ages is a dictionary of non-sequiturs and antonyms, a thesaurus of illogic and inconsistency.

As a person with the retentive mental capacity of a goldfish and a dislike of repetition, I frequently make use of the thesaurus built into my Microsoft Word U.K. Software.

Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can’t fake. I’m not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.

I found a great book called ‘Slang Through the Ages’ by Jonathon Green. It’s basically a thesaurus of historical slang, and had lots of great old uses.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «THESAURUS»

Discover the use of thesaurus in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to thesaurus and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

1

The Well-spoken Thesaurus: The Most Powerful Ways to Say …

The Well-Spoken Thesaurus is your guide to eloquence, replacing the ordinary with the extraordinary.

2

Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus

‘If you want to act, or act better, Actions will take you a long way on the journey to excellence’ Terry Johnson

Marina Caldarone, Maggie Lloyd-Williams, 2004

This edition includes recent work in personnel evaluation and its relevance to programme evaluation, fresh material on evaluation of scientific theories, contemporary ways to extend objective testing beyond multiple choice items without …

4

Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors

The first print edition in more than 5 years contains a total of 10,773 vocabulary terms with 206 descriptors and 210 «use» references that are new to this thesaurus for locating precise terms from the controlled vocabulary used to index …

5

The Thinker’s Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to …

An entertaining and useful alternative to run-of-the-mill thesauri, a new edition of a unique reference offers original synonyms with contextual examples from books, magazines and newspapers. Simultaneous.

6

Explorations in Automatic Thesaurus Discovery

The corpora range from 40,000 to 6 million characters of text, and results are presented for each in the Appendix. The methods described in the book have undergone extensive evaluation.

Gregory Grefenstette, 1994

7

Burton’s Legal Thesaurus, Fourth Edition

«8,000 terms, synonyms, definitions, and parts of speech related specifically to the legal profession»—Cover.

8

Oxford American Desk Dictionary & Thesaurus

Rev. ed. of: Oxford American desk dictionary and thesaurus, 2nd ed., c2006.

Oxford University Press, 2010

Or lacked inspiration for what to do with a bundle of beetroot? The Flavour Thesaurus is the first book to examine what goes with what, pair by pair. The book follows the form of Roget’s Thesaurus.

10

Clinician’s Thesaurus: The Guide to Conducting Interviews …

New to This Edition: references, resources, and diagnostic and treatment information are thoroughly updated additional clinical problems: reactive attachment disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and violent behaviors sections on strengths …

Edward L. Zuckerman, 2010

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «THESAURUS»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term thesaurus is used in the context of the following news items.

Kanye West’s not got Dylan’s thesaurus blues

‘I’ve never read anything so daft as the use of vocabulary size to compare Kanye West favourably to Bob Dylan,’ writes Brian Smith. Photograph: Rex … «The Guardian, Jul 15»

Where to begin with the thesaurus punk of Bad Religion

Bad Religion’s brand of thesaurus rock always seemed a bit too cerebral for the pop charts, even as the group’s hooky, melodic punk became more and more … «A.V. Club Denver/Boulder, Mar 15»

Stephen King On Writing: Throw Out Your Thesaurus

Put away your dictionary, your encyclopedias, your World Almanac, and your thesaurus. Better yet, throw your thesaurus into the wastebasket. The only things … «Lifehacker Australia, Feb 15»

Plagiarism: Copy, Paste, Thesaurus?

The problem even has a name, Rogeting (after Roget’s Thesaurus). British lecturer Chris Sadler named it this after discovering the ruse in some student essays. «Discover Magazine, Feb 15»

Historical thesaurus reveals how 800000 English words have evolved

The Historical Thesaurus, created by the University of Glasgow, features 800,000 words from 1,000 years of the English language. More than 230 linguists have … «Daily Mail, Jan 15»

Rhodri Marsden’s Interesting Objects: Roget’s Thesaurus

This weekend marks the 236th birthday of natural scientist Dr Peter Roget, a man so fond of list-making that he penned perhaps the ultimate list: the Thesaurus. «The Independent, Jan 15»

North Korea’s Thesaurus: New US Sanctions an «Inveterate …

Considering that both the US and the UN have been slapping North Korea with various sanctions for years, this particular executive order was largely symbolic. «Gizmodo, Jan 15»

James Gunn Reveals Extended Version Of Guardians Of The …

James Gunn has revealed an extended version of Guardians of the Galaxy’s infamous “Thesaurus joke” made at Drax’s expense early in the film. «Comicbook.com, Dec 14»

Please Stop Right-Click-Thesaurusizing Everything You Write

They may be counting on an imperative technological advance to “help” them write all those essays they’ll soon be entrusted: MS Word’s thesaurus, harbinger of … «Slate Magazine, Aug 14»

Watch What Happens When You Search ‘Obstructionist’ on …

If you search for the word “obstructionist” on Thesaurus.com, the definition is … Thesaurus.com lists Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus as the source of the entry. «TheBlaze.com, Jul 14»

REFERENCE

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