A1 [ I or T ] to make it possible or easier for someone to do something, by doing part of the work yourself or by providing advice , money , support , etc.
How can I help you? I wonder if you could help me - I'd like some information about flights to New Zealand. See also helpline. See more results ». B2 [ I or T ] If something helps a difficult or painful situation , it improves it or makes it easier or less painful :. The morphine didn't seem to help the pain. The drought has helped to make this a disastrous year for Somalia. The college now has a counsellor to help students with both personal and work problems. We've got to enlist some people to help prepare the food.
Could I have a glass of water to help these pills go down? It's kind of you to offer to help. She derived great satisfaction from helping other people.
Helping and co-operating. You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics: Making things better. It was awful , but I couldn't help laugh ing. B1 [ T ] to give something to someone:. Can I help you to some more soup? Feel free to help yourself to coffee. My daughter just helps herself to anything she fancies from my wardrobe - usually my only good clothes! I'm not sure whether we should be helping ourselves to these snacks - perhaps they're meant for later.
Giving, providing and supplying. Taking and choosing. Grammar Help somebody to do. God help sb. Phrasal verb help sb out. A2 [ U ] the act of helping another person :. Do you need any help with those boxes? Synonyms aid. B2 [ S ] something or someone that helps:. Having a satnav would be a help. He was a great help to me while my husband was away. The earthquake survivors are in desperate need of help. If you can just hold on I'll go and get some help.
The other players have to guess if the use of the word is accurate or an outright fabrication. If a player guesses correctly, it's their turn next. Another dictionary game: Each player chooses a word which should be familiar to the other players, then reads out the dictionary definition.
The other players compete to guess the word as quickly as possible - perhaps even shouting out while the definition is still being read. Play Balderdash with a foreign language dictionary. Pick a random obscure word and then have people make up definitions along with having the real definition, having people guess which definition is the "real" one. A dictionary provides definitions of words, but usually does not give detailed instructions on how objects are used.
For that you will need to research a particular topic online or buy books related to that specific subject. Not Helpful 12 Helpful If I just want to read a dictionary to expand my vocabulary, should I read everything about each word, or just the definition? I would read everything about the word so that you get a full picture of the word's meaning and usage. Not Helpful 3 Helpful Words, definitions the meaning of a word , the pronunciation of each word using the special spelling and pronunciation key, and examples of how to use the word in a sentence.
The dictionary may include synonyms of the word. Not Helpful 13 Helpful If possible, don't read with a headache, as it will only make it worse. If you have to read, don't read from a screen, and try large print under bright light, taking lots of breaks.
Where in a college or unabridged dictionary would I find detailed instructions and explanations of its contents? The best way to learn how to use your particular dictionary effectively is to read its introductory section, where you'll find out how the entries are arranged. The introductory section of your dictionary will explain important information, such as the abbreviations and pronunciation symbols used throughout the entries.
Not Helpful 8 Helpful Put your hand under your chin, and count how many times your chin touches your hand. Each touch is a syllable. What does "informal" mean in a definition? Not Helpful 7 Helpful 6. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 5. It's better for finding definitions. A thesaurus is better for finding synonyms and antonyms.
Not Helpful 6 Helpful Doesn't 'growth' primarily refer to living plants and animals, as an economy will just increase and decrease? You are correct in a traditional sense. In recent years, however, the expression "grow the economy" has become popular in some circles. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 5. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Remember to properly cite a dictionary if you are using it to help write a paper or essay. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. Don't be afraid to study the etymology of a word. Since much of our language is derived from Greek or Latin, you'll often find yourself learning root words from them, but after you have, you'll find that it can be easier to understand words that are new to you simply by looking at the structure of the word.
If you're having trouble spelling a word, try the spell-checker in a word processor and see what it suggests. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1. Even though it's easy to check words using an online dictionary, the free ones don't always provide enough information, so it pays to always have a hard copy dictionary on your bookshelf to call upon whenever needed.
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. If you can't seem to locate your word, make sure you're spelling the word correctly. For example, you won't find "isotope" if you're looking in the A section, which you might be tempted to do if, for example, your chemistry teacher speaks with a bit of a southern accent!
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1. Dictionaries vary in content, and some are very specific. Look at the title to find out what you have. If you have a dictionary of rhymes, slang, idioms, synonyms, a foreign language, or a specific interest, such as woodworking terms, seek a more general dictionary.
Helpful 17 Not Helpful 5. Printed dictionaries may go out of date as the language changes, so check the copyright date of yours. Another way to gauge the currency of a dictionary is to look for relatively new words, such as "chick flick" [3] X Research source or "metrosexual" [4] X Research source. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to.
How to. About This Article. Co-authored by:. Christopher Taylor, PhD. Co-authors: Updated: September 15, Categories: Featured Articles English Vocabulary. Article Summary X To use a dictionary, start by finding the right section of the dictionary using the first letter of the word you want to look up. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. Reader Success Stories Gary Sep 5. I now see how I can use my dictionary effectively when I use it. More reader stories Hide reader stories.
You have to be clever and choose the right words to check and the right time to do it. Try to follow the advice below and you will become a much more efficient language learner:. When you find a new word while reading, finish the sentence better: the paragraph. To avoid interrupting your reading for too long, you should find its meaning in your own language using a bilingual dictionary. When you hear a new word in class or the teacher has written it on the board , wait and continue listening.
What the teacher says next may help you to understand the word. If you look in your dictionary, you will not hear what comes next, and this will make understanding the lesson more and more difficult. If you think the word is very important, you could copy it from the board or write how you think it is spelled. Then later you could ask the teacher or another student what it means.
How to use a dictionary effectively Reasons for using a dictionary A dictionary is a very important tool for anyone who is learning a new language. With a good dictionary you can do the following: look up the meaning of an English word you see or hear find the English translation of a word in your language check the spelling of a word check the plural of a noun or past tense of a verb find out other grammatical information about a word find the synonym or antonym of a word look up the collocations of a word check the part of speech of a word find out how to say a word find out about the register of a word find examples of the use of a word in natural language To be a good dictionary user, however, it is not enough to know what to use the dictionary for.
Knowing which dictionary to use Electronic dictionaries are the best choice for ESL students. Finding words quickly This is a skill that you need to practise. Finding the right meaning of an English word Very often when you look up a new English word, you find that it has more than one meaning. Knowing when to use the dictionary If you look up every new word you see or hear, you will spend your whole day with the dictionary in your hand. Try to follow the advice below and you will become a much more efficient language learner: When you find a new word while reading, finish the sentence better: the paragraph.
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