(—-—s) or (—-—x) Indicate the plural of compound nouns when it is formed by adding s or x to the second component only.
(n.s.) Indicates foreign and compound nouns not used in the singular.
(n.p.) Indicates foreign and compound nouns not used in the plural.
- Before final letters, points out the masculine termination, which is to be changed in the feminine; as, acti-f, -ve, actif, active; act-eur, -rice, acteur, actrice; honteu-x, -se, honteux, honteuse.
The long sound of the vowels is designated by a horizontal mark over the vowel, thus: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.
The short sound of the vowels is designated by a curved mark, thus: ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ. This mark seldom occurs but over the unaccented e. When there is no mark over the other vowels, they may be considered as natural; that is, as neither long nor short.
Words in parentheses serve to complete the sense of those words that precede or follow them; or they refer to the object with which they are connected, or indicate the art, trade, profession, etc., to which they relate. They are given in English and in French.
Those words of which the pronunciation is quite irregular are noticed in full; but those that are only partly irregular are noticed in their irregularities only. Therefore, such words as chiromancie, archétype, équateur, which are irregular in one syllable only, are noticed in that syllable alone; as ki-, -ké-, -koua-.
As none but French spelling can give a correct idea of French pronunciation, it is used throughout this dictionary, with the exception of ch, which is rendered by sh, so that it may not be mistaken for k; of ou, which is expressed by oo; and of oi, which is represented by oa.
☉ Indicates obsolete French words. When found in the middle of lines, it indicates that the French word is obsolete in the meaning before which it is placed.