FUNCTIONAL LABELS

& INFELCTED FORMS

BY: JOSE CARLOS GOMEZ
NAHIR NG
MARIEDT PINZON

FUNCTIONAL LABELS
An italic label indicating a part of speech or some other
functional classification follows the pronunciation or, if
no pronunciation is given, the main entry. The eight
traditional parts of speech are indicated as follows:
De-cep-tive . . . Adj

War-den . . . N

Hap-pi-ly . . . Adv

of . . . Prep

Be-cause . . . Conj

They . . . pron

Hey . . . Interj

Re-lax . . . vb

If a verb is both transitive and intransitive, the labels vt

and vi introduce the subdivisions:
pen-e-trate . . . Vb . . . Vt . . . Vi
A boldface swung dash ~ is used to stand for the main
entry and separate the subdivisions of the verb. If there
is no subdivisin, vt or vi takes the place of vb:
In-fect . . . Vt
Vacation vi

Labeling a verb as transitive, however, does not preclude

occasional intransitive use (as in absolute constructions).
Other italicized labels used to indicate functional
classifications that are not traditional parts of speech are:
geogabbreviation
poly-combining form
-logynoun combining form
-iliferousadjective combining form
super-prefix
Grammy . . .service mark
1-icadjective suffix

-wardor-wardsadverb suffix
-itisnoun suffix
-izeverb suffix
Lycra. . .trademark
-ndsymbol
1
may. . .verbal auxillary
giddyapverbal imperative
methinksverb impersonal
NC-17. . .certification mark
2

Two functional labels are sometimes combined:

zilch. . .adjective or noun
afloat. . .adjective or adverb
Functional labels are not shown for main entries that are noun
phrases having a preposition in the middle:
ball of fire(ca 1900):a person of unusual energy . . .
Functional labels are also not shown for phrases that are
defined run-on entries.

INFLECTIONS

Inflectionis the name for the extra letter or letters added

to nouns, verbs andadjectives in their different
grammatical forms. Nouns are inflected in the plural,
verbs are inflected in the various tenses, and adjectives
are inflected in the comparative/superlative. Here are
some of the most important inflection rules

INFLECTED FORMS (NOUNS)

The plurals of nouns are shown in this dictionary when
suffixation brings about a change of final-yto-i-, when
the noun ends in a consonant plus-o, when the noun
ends in-ooor-ey, when the noun has an irregular
plural or a zero plural or a foreign plural, when the
noun is a compound that pluralizes any element but
the last, when a final consonant is doubled, when the
noun has variant plurals, and when it is believed that
the dictionary user might have reasonable doubts
about the spelling of the plural or when the plural is
spelled in a way contrary to expectations:

spynoun, pluralspies
silo. . .noun, pluralsilos
2
shampoonoun, pluralshampoos
galley . . .noun, pluralgalleys
1
mouse . . .noun, pluralmice
moose. . .noun, pluralmoose
criterion . . .noun, plural-ria
son-in-law . . .noun, pluralsons-in-law
1
quiz . . .noun, pluralquizzes
1
fish . . .noun, pluralfishorfishes
corgi . . .noun, pluralcorgis
3
drynoun, pluraldrys
2

Cutback inflected forms are used when the noun has three or more syllables:
amenity . . .noun, plural-ties
The plurals of nouns are usually not shown when the base word is
unchanged by suffixation, when the noun is a compound whose second
element is readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at its own
place, or when the noun is unlikely to occur in the plural:
1night . . .noun
2crunchnoun
forefoot . . .noun
monogamy . . .noun

Nouns that are plural in form and that regularly occur in plural
construction are labelednoun plural:
munchiesnoun, plural
Nouns that are plural in form but that are not always construed as
plurals are appropriately labeled:
robotics . . .noun plural but singular in construction
two bitsnoun plural but singular or plural in construction
A noun that is singular in construction takes a singular verb when it
is used as a subject

INFELCTED FORMS (VERBS)

The principal parts of verbs are shown in this dictionary
when suffixation brings about a doubling of a final
consonant or an elision of a final-eor a change of finalyto-i-, when final-cchanges to-ckin suffixation, when the
verb ends in-ey, when the inflection is irregular, when there
are variant inflected forms, and when it is believed that the
dictionary user might have reasonable doubts about the
spelling of an inflected form or when the inflected form is
spelled in a way contrary to expectations:

snagtransitive verbsnagged; snagging

1move . . .verbmoved; moving
1cry . . .verbcried; crying
2frolicintransitive verbfrolicked; frolicking
1survey . . .verbsurveyed; surveying
2busverbbusedalsobussed; busingalsobussing
2visatransitive verbvisaed . . . : visaing
2chagrintransitive verbchagrined . . . : chagrining
2

The principal parts of a regularly inflected verb are shown when it is

desirable to indicate the pronunciation of one of the inflected forms:
learn . . .verblearned;learning
ripen . . .verbripened; repening
Cutback inflected forms are often used when the verb has three or
more syllables, when it is a disyllable that ends in-land has variant
spellings, and when it is a compound whose second element is
readily recognized as an irregular verb:
eliminate . . .verb-nated; -nating
3quarrelintransitive verb-reledorrelled; relingor-relling
1retake . . .transitive verb-took . . . ; -taken . . . ; -taking

The principal parts of verbs are usually not shown

when the base word is unchanged by suffixation or
when the verb is a compound whose second element is
readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at
its own place:
jump . . .verb
prejudge . . .transitive verb
1

INFELCTED FORMS (ADJETIVES & ADVER)

The comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and

adverbs are shown in this dictionary when suffixation brings
about a doubling of a final consonant or an elision of a final-eor
a change of final-yto-i-, when the word ends in -ey, when the
inflection is irregular, and when there are variant inflected
forms:
red . . .adjectiveredder; reddest
1
tame . . .adjectivetamer; tamest
1
kindlyadjectivekindlier; -est
1
early . . .adverbearlier; -est
dicey . . .adjectivedicier; -est
1
good . . .adjectivebetter . . . ; best
1
badadjectiveworse . . . ; worst
1
far . . .adverbfarther . . .orfurther . . .
farthestorfurthest
1

The superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs of two or

more syllables are usually cut back:
fancyadjectivefancier; -est
1early . . .adverbearlier; -est
3

The comparative and superlative forms of regularly inflected

adjectives and adverbs are shown when it is desirable to
indicate the pronunciation of the inflected forms:
1

young . . .adjectiveyounger;youngest

The inclusion of inflected forms in-erand-estat

adjective and adverb entries means nothing more
about the use ofmoreandmostwith these adjectives
and adverbs than that their comparative and
superlative degrees may be expressed in either
way;lazierormore lazy;laziestormost lazy.
At a few adjective entries only the superlative form is
shown:
3

mereadjective, superlativemerest

The absence of the comparative form indicates that there

is no evidence of its use. The comparative and superlative
forms of adjectives and adverbs are not shown when the
base word is unchanged by suffixation or when the word is
a compound whose second element is readily recognizable
as a regular free form entered at its own place:
near . . .adverb
unwary . . .adjective
1

The comparative and superlative forms of adverbs are

not shown when they are identical with the inflected
forms of a preceding adjective homograph:
hot . . .adjectivehotter; hottest
2
hotadverb
1