If you found an unfamiliar word in a scholarly dictionary, you would first look in an encyclopedia or a standard dictionary.
To find the denotative meaning of a word, look up the word in a dictionary. The denotative meaning is the literal definition or primary meaning of the word, as opposed to connotations or figurative meanings. It is usually the first definition listed in a dictionary entry.
You can typically find out when a word and its definition were added to a dictionary by checking the dictionary's online version or the publication date of the edition of the physical dictionary. Many dictionaries also provide information about the history and origins of words, which can give you an idea of when they were first included.
The first word put into the dictionary was "abacus" in 1755 by Samuel Johnson in his "A Dictionary of the English Language."
The word that comes first in a dictionary is typically "aardvark."
The stressed syllable in "dictionary" is the first syllable, which is "dic-".
The dictionary definition of a word
Pick the first listed definition as the correct definition.
The definition of Pretty Boy according to the Webster dictionary is "a man who is notably good-looking". The Webster dictionary notes that this term was first used in 1885.
According to The Free Dictionary online it states that the definition of once in a while would be now and then or here and there. The Free Dictionary may be used for free as it's name suggests.
... meaning by looking closely at the context in which you find a word.
Pick the first listed definition as the correct definition.
looking closely at the context in which you find the word
If one were to search for the definition of the word colleagues they should first start by dropping the s and just searching for colleague. If a dictionary is not physically at hand, then try various dictionary websites which offer dictionary and thesaurus resources.
According to the site The Free Dictionary, sophomore has 2 definitions. The first definition is a second-year or a tenth-grade student in high school or college. The second definition is simply a person in the second year of any endeavor.
The first meaning of a word is referred to as "denotative meaning". This is the dictionary definition. The second meaning of a word is referred to as "connotative meaning". This is not in the dictionary.
To find the denotative meaning of a word, look up the word in a dictionary. The denotative meaning is the literal definition or primary meaning of the word, as opposed to connotations or figurative meanings. It is usually the first definition listed in a dictionary entry.
The first definition which comes up is "another name for a rolled joint".