The first two things listed in each dictionary entry are usually the word being defined and its pronunciation key.
The first animal listed in the dictionary is the aardvark, followed by the aardwolf.
The first word listed in the dictionary typically starts with the letter "A." For example, in the English language dictionary, "aardvark" is often one of the first words.
Look in any dictionary (book, not online!) At the top of each page is a guide word - usually the first or last entry on the page. In the dictionary are words printed in alphabetical order. Each of these entries is an entry word. You could have found this out by googling or looking up in a dictionary : Entry word - Noun, entry word - the form of a word that heads a lexical entry and is alphabetized in a dictionary. citation form, main entry word Guide word - word printed at the top of a page in a dictionary, encyclopedia, etc., usually the first or last entry on the page
That would be "Aardvark", funnily enough, the animal was left out of Dr Johnson's dictionary.
In a dictionary entry, "you" typically refers to the word being defined or described in that entry. This allows the reader to quickly identify the word under consideration.
Modern English
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.
Aardvark is the first animal listed in the OED.
Pick the first listed definition as the correct definition.
My dictionary lists the noun "A", the word for the first letter of the alphabet.
Pick the first listed definition as the correct definition.
"Care" comes before "careful" in the dictionary because the words are listed alphabetically, and "C" comes before "CA."