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thesaurus

[ thi-sawr-uh s ]
/ θɪˈsɔr əs /
|

noun, plural the·sau·rus·es, the·sau·ri [-sawr-ahy] /-ˈsɔr aɪ/.

a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms, such as the online Thesaurus.com.
any dictionary, encyclopedia, or other comprehensive reference book.
a storehouse, repository, or treasury.
Computers.
  1. an index to information stored in a computer, consisting of a comprehensive list of subjects concerning which information may be retrieved by using the proper key terms.
  2. a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms stored in memory for use in word processing.

RELATED CONTENT

Is There Such A Thing As A True Synonym?Thesauruses present a catalog of synonyms from which we may pick and choose words to put into our writing, but a thesaurus used alone is a very bad thing because there is no such thing as a true synonym. Every word has its particular place in the language.
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Intrusive vs. ObtrusiveThe meanings and sounds of both words are close enough that it can be easy to confuse them. Some thesauruses present the words as synonyms, but there are a few subtle distinctions between them.
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RELATED WORDS

glossary, lexicon, terminology, vocabulary, onomasticon

Nearby words

  1. theroux,
  2. thersites,
  3. thersitical,
  4. thes.,
  5. thesaurismosis,
  6. thesaurus.com,
  7. these,
  8. these are the times that try men's souls,
  9. thesean,
  10. theseus

Origin of thesaurus

1730–40; < Latin thēsaurus < Greek thēsaurós ‘treasure, treasury’
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for thesauruses

British Dictionary definitions for thesauruses

thesaurus

/ (θɪˈsɔːrəs) /

noun plural -ruses or -ri (-raɪ)

a book containing systematized lists of synonyms and related words
a dictionary of selected words or topics
rare a treasury

Word Origin for thesaurus

C18: from Latin, Greek: treasure
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

Word Origin and History for thesauruses

thesaurus

n.

1823, "treasury, storehouse," from Latin thesaurus "treasury, treasure," from Greek thesauros "a treasure, treasury, storehouse, chest," from root of tithenai "to put, to place." The meaning "encyclopedia filled with information" is from 1840, but existed earlier as thesaurarie (1590s), used as a title by early dictionary compilers. Meaning "collection of words arranged according to sense" is first attested 1852 in Roget's title. Thesaur is attested in Middle English with the meaning "treasure" (15c.-16c.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper