LEXICON

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lexicon mean? 

• LEXICON (noun)
  The noun LEXICON has 2 senses:

1. a language user's knowledge of words

2. a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

  Familiarity information: LEXICON used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEXICON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A language user's knowledge of words

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

lexicon; mental lexicon; vocabulary

Hypernyms ("lexicon" is a kind of...):

cognition; knowledge; noesis (the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning)

Holonyms ("lexicon" is a part of...):

language; speech (the mental faculty or power of vocal communication)

Derivation:

lexical (of or relating to words)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

dictionary; lexicon

Hypernyms ("lexicon" is a kind of...):

wordbook (a reference book containing words (usually with their meanings))

Meronyms (parts of "lexicon"):

dictionary entry; lexical entry (the entry in a dictionary of information about a word)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lexicon"):

bilingual dictionary (a dictionary giving equivalent words in two languages)

collegiate dictionary; desk dictionary (an abridged dictionary of a size convenient to hold in the hand)

etymological dictionary (a dictionary giving the historical origins of each word)

gazetteer (a geographical dictionary (as at the back of an atlas))

learner's dictionary; school dictionary (a dictionary specially written for those learning a foreign language)

little dictionary; pocket dictionary (a dictionary that is small enough to carry in your pocket)

spell-checker; spelling checker (an electronic dictionary in a word processor that can be used to catch misspelled words)

unabridged; unabridged dictionary (a dictionary that has not been shortened by the omitting terms or definitions; a comprehensive dictionary)

Derivation:

lexical (of or relating to dictionaries)

 Context examples 

"A stunning blow from the big Greek lexicon, which an old fellow in a black gown fired at him," said Ned.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mortally: after all, it's tough work fagging away at a language with no master but a lexicon.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

It constituted their whole lexicon of ideas.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The atlas contains a guide to standardized mammographic reporting, including a breast-imaging lexicon of terminology, a report organization and assessment structure and coding system.

(Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, NCI Thesaurus)