A controlled list of vocabulary terms which an author selects from to create a value within an element record.

Greek for "storehouse". A reference book that serves as a kind of reverse dictionary - you start with an idea or concept you want to express, and then find a word to describe it. A set of subject headings used in some research databases. The plural of thesaurus is thesauri.

A device for vocabulary control, usually for a specific subject area, indicating preferred terms, non-preferred terms, and semantic relations between terms; the terms are in ordinary human language.

a list of subject terms showing the relationships among the terms (similar, related, narrower, broader). A scope note may be included to explain the term. Many electronic indexes (e.g., PsycINFO) have an online thesaurus.

A controlled vocabulary of terms or concepts that are structured hierarchically (parent/child relationships) or as equivalences (synonyms), and related terms (associative). See also Subject headings and glossary.

A book of words grouped on the basis of their meanings.

1. A lexicon, more especially where words are grouped by ideas. 2. A grouping or classification of synonyms or near synonyms. 3. A list of descriptors.

a systematically compiled list of terms. MeSH is the thesaurus for Medline. Synonym of controlled vocabulary.

a book that gives synonyms for words

an organization of terms that groups them based on meaning. Roget's Thesaurus was the first human-developed work. Many controlled vocabularies are organized according to a thesaurus. There may be loose grouping of related terms, as from clustering, or a complete hierarchical organization, from high level concepts, down a taxonomic chain, ultimately to words. Various relationships may be represented, including: broader, narrower, see also, subordinate, superordinate, and synonym.

A reference book of synonyms.

a list of words arranged according to meaning, rather than alphabetically as in a standard dictionary.

a reference book that provides synonyms and antonyms, as well as broader and narrower terms for vocabulary.

A device for vocabulary control, usually for a specific subject area, indicating preferred term non-preferred term s, and semantic relation s between terms; the terms are in ordinary human language.

A grouping or classification or synonyms or a list of descriptors. Often publishers of periodical indexes/abstracts or computerised databases produce a thesaurus or list of preferred or "controlled" subject headings.

Guide to use of terms, showing relationships between them, for the purpose of providing standardized, controlled vocabulary for information storage and retrieval

A lexicon of synonyms or near synonyms, often grouped by ideas. Thesauri of commonly used terms in various fields are often intended to function as terminological control devices for indexing in that field.

A list of all the subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index. The thesaurus for the BMCC Library Catalog is called Library of Congress Subject Headings.

a book containing a classified list of synonyms

a book containing synonyms in a given language it provides similarity links when trying to retrieve articles or stories about a particular topic

a classified list of terms and concepts, such as a specialised vocabulary of a particular field, as of education, medicine or music

a collection of relevant terms ordered in a hierarchy of superordinate and subordinate concepts and homonyms

a collection of synonyms, antonyms, and other related words

a collection of Synonyms used in the English language

a collection of synonyms, words with similar--but not identical --meanings

a collection of terms referring to specific concepts, together with variants and conceptual relationships between terms

a collection of terms that are related in some way to various words found in a particular field of all the documents in the database

a compilation of subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog or index, with related synonyms and/or antonyms for each term

a compilation of words and phrases showing synonymous, hierarchical and other relationships

a cross-referencing of different words that have related, similar, or identical meanings

a dictionary of antonyms and synonyms--words which have either similar or opposite denotations (more or less the basic concept or meaning), with an eye towards the varying connotations (or subtle differences of meaning)

a dictionary- of sorts

a dictionary of synonyms and homonyms (for which see above)

a dictionary that gives synonyms

a dictionary which organises words according to their meanings

a dynamic tool, which can be developed by the addition, amendment and deletion of terms, relationships or hierarchies as dictated by the needs of the user community

a great tool for expanding vocabulary

a great tool to find just the right word

a grouping of related idea and words which can be used instead of other words in certain contexts

a hierarchical compilation of alphabetically arranged concepts from the literature

a hierarchical compilation of concepts from the literature, standardized and structured to facilitate searching by bringing together synonyms and form variations found in the database documents

a hierarchical list of terms, which may be inter-related and often have explanatory notes called Scope Notes

a hierarchically arranged term list, which for a given term provides narrower and broader terms and often also related terms

a huge list of interlinked terms

a listing of terms arranged by possible relationship

a list of concepts in a particular domain of knowledge together with explicit relationships

a list of controlled terms that is structured though relationships between terms

a list of predetermined words and phrases that describe the subject matter of a database

a list of subject terms in a specific area of knowledge, intended to be used in the indexing and retrieval of information

a list of terms that describe objects or concepts that are sorted into a hierarchical order establishing relationships between the terms

a list of terms used for a certain domain, should be complete for every domain and should contain a list of synonyms for each term

a list of words with similar meanings (synonyms) and words with opposite meanings (antonyms)

an alphabetical list ofwords, similar to a dictionary

an information retrieval tool that excels at making connections between concepts

an organized group of terms or concepts having a structure described by a set of properties and a set of hierarchical or associative, lexical or semantic relations

a reference listing words to use in place of other words

a resource similar to a dictionary that helps writers to identify synonyms

a restricted and controlled list of subject terms (descriptors) organised in a hierarchical structure

a set of related terms describing a set of documents

a set of terms and a set of standardized, reciprocal relations on those terms

a simple mapping from terms to synonyms

a sophisticated list of index terms

a storehouse of knowledge, e

a tool for vocabulary control

a treasury of every imaginable word, ready for our using

a valuable tool that can help the seventh-grade student expand his or her vocabulary knowledge and gain a better understanding of word relationships as they prepare for high school and beyond," explained Baecher-Brown

a list of words or group of words that can be used as subject headings or descriptors in a particular database, catalog, or index. The Library of Congress Subject Headings book is used as a thesaurus for the LINCC Library Catalog.

list of all the subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index, showing relationships among them

a list of terms showing similarities, differences, dependencies, and other relationships to each other. Thesaurus terms are used in a specific database to help search by topic.

A listing of synonyms and related terms, or a listing of index terms used in a database.

1) A list of synonyms that frequently includes related terms and antonymns 2) A list of selected words or concepts for a specific subject area that uses a specialized vocabularly like medicine, education, business etc. Certain periodical indexes use thesauri (plural of thesaurus) like CINAHL.

glossary noun An alphabetical list of words often defined or translated: dictionary, lexicon, vocabulary, wordbook. See words.

Book of synonyms. Sometimes includes contrasting words (antonyms). Can also mean a list of terms and concepts representing the specialized vocabulary of a particular field. Examples: Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors.

An on-line dictionary of synonyms and other semantically related words. Using the relationship to define a hierarchical structure of words such as Broader Term, Narrower Term, Related Term, Used For, etc. It may also include language equivalents and translation terms.

(a) A list of the subject headings or descriptors used in a database, with information about their use and their relationships to each other. You could search the Thesaurus in PsycINFO to identify appropriate descriptors for your topic, for example. (b) A lexicon or classification of synonyms and related terms ( e.g. Roget's Thesaurus).

example 1. Thesauri are arranged like dictionaries, but provide alternate word choices (synonyms and antonyms) rather than defninitions. See: Reference Sources. 2. A list of subject headings. See: Search Techniques.

reference book containing an alphabetical listing of words with their synonyms or words and phrases with similar meanings in different contexts. E.g. the entry for 'book' in a thesaurus might include references to album, novel, or text

Refers to a book and a database feature. The book lists alternate terms with similar meanings to the one you look up. In a database, a thesaurus uses the terms you choose to search on to lead you to other terms you may not have considered (related terms). While the book-type thesaurus presents you with a larger variety of words to choose from, the goal of a database thesaurus is to "funnel" your search into the unique, official language of the database "subject headings". For example, a database thesaurus might suggest that you use "automobiles" instead of the words car, cars, autos, vehicles, etc.

List of descriptors, often with synonyms, narrower, broader terms, scope notes, use notes. Syn.

An alphabetical listing of the controlled vocabulary terms used to index records in the database. The Thesaurus is a great brainstorming tool leading you to additional terms to use in their searches. Using Theaurus terms (or Descriptors) allows you to retrieve references on a particular topic regardless of what words and jargon the authors use in the documents retrieved by the search. The Explode feature enables you to search for records indexed by the term selected or by any of its narrower terms.

controlled vocabulary with syndectic structure in which all allowable terms are given and relationships between terms are shown.

a lexicon where words are grouped by ideas, such as synonyms with synonyms. Computer databases may include a thesaurus to enable you to find out which terms or subject headings have been used in that particular database to represent the subject you are interested in.

A controlled list of terms, including synonyms and related terms. The relationships between the terms are shown in a hierarchy. Used in describing and searching for documents in databases.

A controlled vocabulary with a syndetic structure within a circumscribed subject field used to organize material or information.

A collection of keywords or descriptors (generally within a special field of knowledge) which lists the keywords and displays their relationship. Similar to a keywords list.

A book of synonyms, such as Roget's II: The New Thesaurus.

A list of synonyms a search engine can use to find matches for particular words if the words themselves don't appear in documents.

A controlled vocabulary word list with synonyms to accompany a particular index.

a group or grouping of synonyms or near synonyms of terms. (ex. Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases)

A list of terms used. It shows relationships among terms, such as broader, narrower, and related terms. A thesaurus may be a separate book or a component of a computer database.

A standardised list of terms that describe the records within a database. You can use the thesaurus to look up and search for synonyms, related terms, and preferred terms.

an alphabetical list of preferred terms for searching a particular database. Searching with preferred terms as key-words results in more results. (SEE also Controlled vocabulary.)

A controlled vocabulary within a circumscribed subject field used to organize material or information. Consists of a syndetic structure that attempts to perform for the field in question the same function that conventional subject heading lists serve for the whole body of recorded knowledge. Plural: Thesauri.

A controlled vocabulary arranged hierarchically (parent/child relationships), as equivalences (synonyms), and related terms (associative). A controlled vocabulary is a subset of natural language, consisting of preferred and nonpreferred terms. Thesaurus relationships are identified by standardized relationship indicators. The primary purposes of a thesaurus are identified as promotion of consistency in the indexing of documents and facilitation of searching. A thesaurus may be used as a terminological authority for the terms used in indexing within databases, providing more flexibility and updating than traditional subject headings and classification schemas.

Many specialized periodical indexes use a controlled vocabulary (a standardized word or phrase list). A thesaurus is an alphabetical listing of the terms currently in use for that index. A thesaurus will also show relationships between synonyms or related terms, as well as hierarchical arrangements (broader terms, narrower terms).

an arrangement of a controlled vocabulary in which all allowable terms are given and relationships among terms are shown.

A Thesaurus is a controlled vocabulary of subject terms used to classify and organize information contained in a ProQuest database. You can use these subject terms to find articles.

A list of all subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index. The thesaurus for most library catalogs is called the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Also, a list of synonyms.

A list of terms in a controlled vocabulary that can be used when searching electronic databases. Often includes hierarchical relationships between terms and links, or cross references, from an unused term to the accepted term.

Controlled vocabulary with a list of synonyms

a compilation of terms showing synonymous, hierarchical, and other relationships, the function of which is to provide a standardized, controlled vocabulary for information storage and retrieval. Also, a compilation of synonyms and antonyms.

In some search tools, the terms you choose to search on can lead you to other terms you may not have thought of. Different search tools have different ways of presenting this information, sometimes with suggested words you may choose among and sometimes automatically. The terms are based on the terms in the results of your search, not on some dictionary-like thesaurus.

A list of terms which serves as a standardized, controlled vocabulary for identifying, locating, and retrieving information.

Synonymous with "Knowledge Organization System", a system of keywords that are nested in a hierarchy of broader and narrower concepts. "Entry" terms are synonymous terms that lead the user to the "preferred" term, and may have links to related concepts. Example: the General European Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus (GEMET).

A book of synonyms and antonyms in classified or subject order.

A list of subject headings unique to a database. Not all databases have a thesaurus.

An organised list of all the subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index.

tool that searches for synonyms and/or antonyms for any word in the dictionary.

When an index or database uses Controlled Vocabulary (a standardized word or phrase list), the thesaurus is an alphabetical listing of the terms currently in use. The thesaurus will also show relationships between terms such as synonymous or related terms, hierarchical arrangements (broader terms, narrower terms), and provide references from terms not currently in use to acceptable terms, including older words or phrases that are no longer used.

A standard, generally published, source of controlled vocabulary from which terms are drawn for the purpose of providing subject access to bibliographic, catalog, or other types of database records

a specialized authority list of terms used with automated information retrieval systems; very similar to a list of subject headings. (C&C)

A book of synonyms, often arranged by concept. Also, an authority file or list of subject terms, usually with cross references, used to index a document or database.

A controlled vocabulary arranged in a known order and structured so that the various relationships among terms are displayed clearly and identified by standardized relationship indicators. Relationship indicators should be employed reciprocally.

an information structure lising words or other terms, along with relationships between them, such as: broader than, narrrower than, cross reference to, synonym of

applications: A compilation of words linked to each other. Synonyms and antonyms are linked, as are words similar in meaning. The granddaddy of them all is Peter Mark Roget's Thesaurus, first published in 1852, and unequalled since. There are electronic thesauri, but check out the original to enjoy a stupendous accomplishment. A thesaurus can also be a set of terms used for indexing or classification or a list of keywords.

like a taxonomy except that there is additional information on how one term is related to another.

the controlled vocabulary used in a database. Thesauri allow users to identify synonyms and related words.

a structured list of approved subject headings (preferred terms) showing the relationships between them. The relationships include broader (parent) terms, narrower (child) terms, and related terms. The thesaurus also shows terms that are not to be used in indexing (nonpreferred terms) with references to the terms that should be used instead (for example, 'automobiles, see cars'). See also taxonomy. (According to the NISO standard on thesaurus construction, the plural of 'thesaurus' can be 'thesauri' or 'thesauruses'. We used 'thesauruses' in the first edition of this book, but have yielded to reviewer preferences and the interests of brevity.)

The vocabulary of a controlled indexing language, formerly organized so that a priori relationships between concepts (e.g. 'broader' and 'narrower') are made explicit. Examples include Medical Subject Heading (MESH) terms. (ISO 2788)

1. In a thesaurus, the meaning of the term is specified and relationships to other terms are shown. A thesaurus should provide sufficient entry points to allow users to navigate from non-preferred terms to preferred terms adopted by the organisation. 2. Classification tool comprising an alphabetical presentation of a controlled list of terms linked together by semantic, hierarchical, associative or equivalence relationships. See also Merged thesaurus and Functions thesaurus. Source: Adapted from Standards Australia, AS Standards Australia 4390, Part 4, Clause 7.3.2.2; Standards Australia, AS ISO 15489, Part 2, Clause 4.2.3.2.

Note two distinct meanings: (i) a book of synonyms, sometimes including contrasting words (antonyms). The most well-know thesaurus of this type is Roget's. (ii) An alphabetical list of terms and concepts representing the specialised vocabulary of a particular field. An example of one among many hundreds of this type is Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. Thesauri of this type are used by librarians and others to conduct focused searches of online periodical indexes.

A list of terms used to describe the ideas in a particular group of materials.  It suggests synonyms for effective searching of its associated database, and indicates relationships between and among ideas.  Thesaurus terms may be called "descriptors" or subject headings.

An alphabetical presentation of a controlled list of terms, linked together by semantic, hierarchical, associative or equivalence relationships. Such a tool acts as a guide to allocating classification terms to individual records. (AS ISO 15489, Part 2, Clause 4.2.3.2) In a thesaurus, the meaning of the term is specified and hierarchical relationships to other terms are shown. A thesaurus should provide sufficient entry points to allow users to navigate from terms that are not to be used to the preferred terminology adopted by the organisation. See also Merged thesaurus.

A list of words that are applicable to a specific subject area; usually is a controlled vocabulary list.

A list of words providing a standard, consistent terminology for use in describing and cataloguing objects. Thesauri can be developed in-house for a particular collection, or developed more generally to meet the needs of people working in specific areas of interest. There are a small number of published thesauri which have been developed for museum cataloguing; these include the international Art and Architecture Thesaurus and the Australian Powerhouse Museum Collection Thesaurus.

A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY showing relationships between terms and developed from a dynamic, growing document collection. See also DESCRIPTOR.

(thi sôr‚ƒs) n., pl. -sau•rus•es, -sau•ri (-sôr‚ð) a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. return

A list of the standard terms (subject headings or descriptors) used in a particular database.

An organised language, used for inputting and searching information systems, which predefines the relationships between terms and concepts used in its vocabulary.

A built-in thesaurus that allows you to search for synonyms without leaving the word processor.

A book of synonyms and antonyms. A book or electronic resource that accompanies a particular database or field of study and lists the standardized, controlled vocabulary, such as descriptors, that can be used for search terms.

A compilation of terms linked in synonymous, hierarchical, and associative relationships that are clearly displayed and employed reciprocally.

(1) A list of categorized terms, such as synonyms and related words; (2) . (See also Descriptor, Subject Heading).

a software feature you use to replace one word with another similar word

In a database, this function will lead you to other related terms that should be used for searching your topic; will list synonyms for your search term. Used extensively for searching databases such as ERIC or CINAHL.

Thesaurus is a form of controlled vocabulary consisting of a glossary of words and their relationships used to index and search information objects belonging to a particular subject domain. Thesauri are usually considered the most complex of controlled vocabularies as they include information on the equivalence, hierarchical and associative relationships between the words. A thesaurus differs from a taxonomy in that a taxonomy deals only with the hierarchical relationship between terms. The main goal of a thesaurus is to improve retrieval through the management of synonyms and the indication of related terms.

A list of the subject headings used in a catalog, , or electronic database, i.e. the controlled vocabulary.

A list of terms and the relationship among the terms ÷ broad, narrow, alternative (synonyms), opposite (antonyms), and related terms. A thesaurus can consist as part of a controlled vocabulary within a database or reside in print format.

a book of concepts and terms with their synonyms, often restricted to a specialized field or subject.

A list of subject headings assigned in a particular database, index, or online catalog.

A linguistic tool that relates words by meaning.

A compilation of terms giving synonyms and/or antonyms for each, and in database searching, providing a standardized and controlled vocabulary for information and storage retrieval.

An alphabetical list of allowed and non-allowed terms, usually with cross reference to link the non-allowed and allowed terms and to suggest suitable related allowed terms. Also referred to as a Controlled Vocabulary. In records management a thesaurus is a classification tool used in file titling.

A list of the subject headings or descriptors that are used in a particular catalog or database to describe the subject matter of each item. A thesaurus is useful to researchers because it identifies which term among a variety of available synonyms has been used by the database compilers to describe a topic. Some databases provide a searchable thesaurus that helps researchers choose the most effective search terms before they start searching.

Contains synonyms for commonly used words. The entry words are organized in alphabetic order. A list of synonyms follows each entry as well as possible broader or narrower terms.

The word thesaurus is derived from 16th century New Latin, in turn from Latin thesaurus, from ancient Greek thesauros, "store-house", "treasury". Besides its meaning as a treasury or storehouse, it more commonly means a listing of words with similar, related, or opposite meanings (this new meaning of thesaurus dates back to Roget's Thesaurus). For example, a book of jargon for a specialized field; or more technically a list of subject headings and cross-references used in the filing and retrieval of documents (or indeed papers, certificates, letters, cards, records, texts, files, articles, essays and perhaps even manuscripts), film, sound recordings, machine-readable media, etc.

a documentary tool used in the field of information representation and retrieval that represents a field of specific knowledge through its conceptual structure

a great tool, but like any tool, you have to know how to use it or you might get hurt

a handy tool to meet this need

a handy tool when writing sonnets

an essential component for reliable information retrieval, but it can usefully be complemented by two other types of subject retrieval mechanism

an essential tool which must be at hand when indexing a collection of objects, whether by writing catalogue cards by hand or by entering details directly into a computer

an invaluable tool for anyone who writes, whether for memos and reports at work, essays and dissertations at school and college

a semantic tool used for information retrieval and indexing , among other purposes

a tool that supports the classification and management of records, usually at the file level