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glossary

[ glos-uh-ree, glaw-suh- ]
/ ˈglɒs ə ri, ˈglɔ sə- /
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See synonyms for: glossary / glossarist on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural glos·sa·ries.
a list of terms in a special subject, field, or area of usage, with accompanying definitions.
such a list at the back of a book, explaining or defining difficult or unusual words and expressions used in the text.
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Origin of glossary

1350–1400; Middle English glossarye<Latin glōssarium difficult word requiring explanation <Greek glōssárion, diminutive of glôssa tongue, language; later taken as a collection of such words, by construing suffix as Latin -ārium-ary; cf. gloss2

OTHER WORDS FROM glossary

glos·sar·i·al [glo-sair-ee-uhl, glaw-], /glɒˈsɛər i əl, glɔ-/, adjectiveglos·sar·i·al·ly, adverbglos·sa·rist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use glossary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for glossary

glossary
/ (ˈɡlɒsərɪ) /

noun plural -ries
an alphabetical list of terms peculiar to a field of knowledge with definitions or explanationsSometimes called: gloss

Derived forms of glossary

glossarial (ɡlɒˈsɛərɪəl), adjectiveglossarially, adverbglossarist, noun

Word Origin for glossary

C14: from Late Latin glossārium; see gloss ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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