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First published 1902; not yet revised

lexiconnoun

Quotations

Contents

Earlier version

    1. 1.a.
      1603–
      A word-book or dictionary; chiefly applied to a dictionary of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, or Arabic.
      The restricted use is due to the fact that until recently dictionaries of these particular languages were usually in Latin, and in modern Latin lexicon, not dictionarius, has been the word generally used.
      1. 1603
        Any other translation or Lexicon.
        C. Heydon, Defence of Iudiciall Astrologie ii. 44
      2. 1607
        He doth not neglect the profit of Lexicons (wherein all sayings and speeches are numbred).
        E. Topsell, Historie of Foure-footed Beastes Gesnerus to Reader sig. ⁋⁋v
      3. 1616
        Lexicon, a Greek Dictionarie for words.
        J. Bullokar, English Expositor
      4. 1641
        [They] must make a new Lexicon to name themselves by.
        J. Milton, Of Prelatical Episcopacy 6
      5. 1645
        They who are so exact for the letter, shall be dealt with by the Lexicon, and the Etymologicon too if they please.
        J. Milton, Tetrachordon 64
      6. a1682
        Lexicons and Dictionaries by Zizania do almost generally understand Lolium.
        Sir T. Browne, Certain Miscellany Tracts (1683) i. 85
      7. 1702
        Upon enquiry about a Hebrew word, I found he had no Lexicon.
        S. Sewall, Diary 30 January (1973) vol. I. 461
      8. 1791
        He thought it right in a Lexicon of our language to collect many words which had fallen into disuse.
        J. Boswell, Life of Johnson anno 1750 vol. I. 119
      9. 1807
        Let Mr. D. go to his Lexicon for the word urethra.
        Medical & Physical Journal vol. 17 49
      10. 1818
        And take for rhyme, to hook my rambling verse on, The first that Walker's Lexicon unravels.
        Lord Byron, Beppo xlix. 26
      11. 1847
        A Greek-English Lexicon.
        H. G. Liddell & R. Scott (title)
      linguistics
    2. 1.b.
      1647–
      figurative. (a) The vocabulary proper to some department of knowledge or sphere of activity; the vocabulary or word-stock of a region, a particular speaker, etc. (b) A list of words or names.
      1. 1647
        This barbarous Term you will not meet In all Love's Lexicon.
        A. Cowley, Discretion in Mistress 66
      2. 1654
        Fate, or Fortune, (in the Profane Lexicon, and in the Christians undiscovered Providence).
        R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομία 419
      3. 1656
        The vast and barbarous Lexicon Of Mans Infirmitie.
        A. Cowley, To Dr. Scarborough in Pindaric Odes iii
      4. 1720
        All Silks, Velvets, Calicoes, and the whole Lexicon of Female Fopperies.
        J. Swift, Proposal Use Irish Manuf. 5
      5. 1751
        Such, who, in the Lexicon of Party, may be found ranged under that title [Whig].
        Earl of Orrery, Remarks Swift (1752) 25
      6. 1823
        Fifty thousand heroes, name by name..Would form a lengthy lexicon of glory.
        Lord Byron, Don Juan: Canto VIII xvii. 119
      7. 1839
        In the lexicon of youth..there is no such word As—fail!
        E. Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu ii. ii. 362
      8. 1954
        ‘European’ in the South African lexicon, means anyone whose skin appears to be white, regardless of where he may have been born or brought up and what his parents may have been.
        R. St. John, Through Malan's Africa i. i. 12
      9. 1963
        French-speaking Canadians..are developing a ‘standard’ form of Canadian French..with the same categories of variation (phonetics and lexicon) from the speech of the mother country as are found in American and Canadian English.
        American Speech vol. 38 143
      10. 1972
        They constitute a regular part of his stylistic lexicon.
        Archivum Linguisticum vol. 3 1
      11. 1973
        These racial-identity labels are part of what can be called ‘the black lexicon’ (words that are used exclusively by black people) formulated to designate concepts derived from the unique experience of black people within their culture.
        K. Johnson in T. Kochman, Rappin' & Stylin' Out 142
      12. 1973
        He [sc. Mr. Ehrlichman] said the term ‘deep six’—meaning throw in the river—had not been ‘part of my lexicon’.
        Times 31 July 6/7
      linguistics
    3. 1.c.
      1826–
      attributive and in other combinations.
      1. 1826
        The boy who is lexicon-struck in early youth looks upon all books afterwards with horror.
        S. Smith, Works (1859) vol. II. 100/1
      2. 1848
        Leaving vocabular ghosts undisturbed in their lexicon-limbo.
        A. H. Clough, Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich ix. 149
  2. 2.
    1933–
    Linguistics. The complete set of meaningful units in a language; the words, etc., as in a dictionary, but without the definitions. (opposed to grammar n.)
    1. 1933
      The total stock of morphemes in a language is its lexicon.
      L. Bloomfield, Language x. 162
    2. 1964
      The categories of phonetics, phonology, and grammar are general; the components of the lexicon of a language are particular.
      R. H. Robins, General Linguistics 63
    3. 1968
      He can afford to make a less exhaustive classification of the lexicon.
      J. Lyons, Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics iv. 159
    linguistics
  3. 3.
    1932–
    (With capital initial.) The proprietary name of a game played with cards marked with the letters of the alphabet.
    1. 1932
      Lexicon... Card games. John Waddington Limited,..Leeds; manufacturers.
      Trade Marks Journal 22 June 798
    2. 1945
      This card..was one from a pack of Lexicon cards, one bearing the letter V.
      D. Whitelaw, Lex. Murders i. 15
    3. 1945
      A Wop, eh...ever play Lexicon?
      D. Whitelaw, Lex. Murders iii. 59
    4. 1960
      Didn't we all learn to spell by playing Lexicon?
      Guardian 9 December 9/7
    5. 1965
      One of them produced a packet of Lexicon from her bag and spread the letters over the table.
      ‘R. Petrie’, Running Deep ii. 28
    6. 1974
      Smiley appeared to examine the lexicon cards, reading off the words longways and sideways.
      ‘J. le Carré’, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy xxii. 187
    games