encyclopedia

B1 Topic:Education & Learning

Also spelled cyclopædia and encyclopaedia

US /ənˌsəɪ.kləˈpi.di.ə/ UK /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).dɪə/
noun Freq #19709

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A reference work with articles on many subjects, usually arranged alphabetically

    I looked up the planet in an old encyclopedia.

  2. 2
    noun

    A detailed reference work covering one particular field of knowledge

    His life's work is a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a reference work with... cyclopediaencyclopaedia
Word family
Forms encyclopediasencyclopædias
Derived forms encyclopedialencyclopedialikeencyclopedianencyclopedicencyclopedicalencyclopedistwikipediaxenoencyclopedia
Related forms dictionarypaideiapaidiapandectpedo-

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Ancient Greek ἐν (en) Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-) Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ιος (-ios) Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλῐος (enkúklĭos) Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w-der. Proto-Hellenic *pā́wits Ancient Greek παῖς (paîs) Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús) Ancient Greek -εύω (-eúō) Ancient Greek παιδεύω (paideúō) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek παιδείᾱ (paideíā) Ancient Greek…

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