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How to Search • Pronunciation Guide • Explanation of Fields
This version of the WEDT includes an "XWN" field - experimental links with WordNet, a lexical database of word relations. For an explanation, click here.
I. Introduction:
WordNet is a database of relationships between word senses. It organizes English nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs into "synonym sets", each such set representing one underlying lexical concept. Different relations link the synonym sets, including relations like "x is a kind of y" (hypernym) and "x has y as a subclass" (hyponym). For example, if you look up "home", you will find it in a synonym set with other words such as "dwelling" and "domicile". A "hypernym" of this concept is {housing, lodging}; that is, a home is a kind of housing or lodging. (Other kinds of lodging include hostels and hospices.) The "hyponyms" of this concept include condominiums and town houses; that is, these are different kinds or subclasses of home. If you go to the "overview" of the word sense you have looked up in WordNet, you will find the complete set of WordNet senses for that word, and you will be able to look at other word and word-sense relations. For example, some entries show the part/whole relationship (meronyms/holonyms). Note that WordNet is separate from Wordsmyth. When you click on a word in the "XWN" field, a new window is spawned for the WordNet entry. You can return to Wordsmyth by closing the WordNet window, clicking on the Wordsmyth window, or navigating between the windows.
II. Explanation
a. XWN Credits. The experimental WordNet links represent a collaboration between Bob Parks, Mark Olsen, and Philip Resnik. Currently these experimental links only exist for noun entries, but extensions to other parts of speech are under consideration.
b. Explanation of Links. Each of the experimental WordNet links in the Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus shows a word, together with a sense number in WordNet and a confidence value between 0 and 1.
The links are experimental because they have been generated automatically, using an algorithm for word sense disambiguation (Resnik, 1995) that works by analyzing the set of similar nouns and assigning strength to word senses based on the overlap of information content with senses of other nouns in the set. For example, one entry for "call" corresponds to the meaning "the attraction or fascination of something", as in "the call of the city". The SIMilar nouns listed with that entry are
bewitchment, charm, attractiveness, enticement
The word "charm" has three senses in WordNet -- for example, its sense referring to a good luck charm. However, considered in the context of the other nouns in this group of similar nouns, the algorithm finds significant overlap only with the WordNet sense of "charm" that means "appeal, appealingness, charm -- (attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates)".
The links have not been hand checked, so they may or may not lead to correct senses in WordNet -- that's why they're being advertised as "experimental"! Comments on the usefulness of the links as a component to the dictionary can be sent to Bob Parks, and comments regarding the disambiguation algorithm can be sent to Philip Resnik.
References
Philip Resnik, "Disambiguating Noun Groupings with Respect to WordNet Senses", Proceedings of the 3rd Workshop on Very Large Corpora, MIT, 30 June 1995.
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Last updated July 28,
1998...
How
to Search The
word you look up will be found at the entry for that word.
The entry word is usually a root word. For example,
"happiness" will be found at the entry for "happy"; and
"reliably" will be found at the entry for "reliable". If the
word you are looking for isn't found, it may be listed with
a different spelling, or different part of
speech. Word
SEARCH
Normal Search. Normal Search will find a word if it is spelled correctly, and if it is a headword in the WEDT. This option will find two word entries that contain the word you have typed. For example, a search for "head" will find "head cold", "head lettuce" and "head start" in addition to "head". If you aren't sure how the word is spelled, try one of the other search options. Word SEARCH
Floating Search. Floating Search will find words which contain the word you are searching for. So, if you know only part of a word, type it in and try floating search. For example, a search for "head" will find "ahead" and "flathead", as well as "head". If you type only 2-3 letters, there may be many words that contain that combination.Word SEARCH
Approximate Search Approximate Search will find words that are are close in spelling to the word you have input. This option is good for words that may be misspelled. For example, Select "1" for a more precise search. ("sircus" finds "circus") Select "3" for a more tolerant search; but this will find many more words.(For example, "cirkis" will find "circus" along with 50+ other words.) Select "2" for moderate precision and moderate tolerance of errors. Word SEARCH
Credits Project Director: Dr. Robert Parks; Editors: Dr. Joel Ray; Dr. Susan Bland; ARTFL: Dr. Mark Olsen (Associate Director) Suggestions: Use the FEEDBACK FORM to send suggestions or send email to bobp@lightlink.com
WEDT (c) 1991-98 Robert Parks All rights reserved
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