Après quelques recherches, tout surfeur de l'Internet aura remarqué qu'on y trouve des dictionnaires de toutes sortes.

Il y a en outre des dictionnaires rédigés par de petits groupes à l'usage des spécialistes, tel le dictionnaire d'épidémiologie de l'Université d'Oxford, où on donne la définition d'un terme, sans ajouter l'exemple de son emploi.

FIGURE 1

A Dictionary of Epidemiology

Dictionary definitions are always prone to dispute; the guiding principle here is to record the usages of our groups (in Oxford, Cambridge, and Warwick) and of the course. Thus we've included some terms from immunology and what we call classical epidemiology, but the chief perspective here is that of ecological epidemiology. Many terms, such as distribution, are discussed only from this specialist perspective. We'd be pleased to hear your suggestions.

Note: this document will move around in future; if you wish to bookmark it or make a link to it we would recommend you to refer to the entry page.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Aetiology. (The study of) the causes of disease.

Acquired immunity. See immunity.

Aetiological fraction. The potential for a reduction in the outcome of disease if a risk factor is removed. If Ie is the number of people exposed to the risk factor of interest who have a disease and Io is the number of people exposed to the risk factor without disease, then the aetiological fraction is (Ie-Io)/Ie. Also known as the attributable fraction.

Ensuite il y a des dictionnaires où on essaie de fournir le maximum de données sous la forme la plus brève, par exemple la version hypertexte du dictionnaire de Webster,

FIGURE 2

Hypertext Webster Interface

Webster Definition for dictionary

dic.tio.nary \'dik-sh*-.ner-e-\ n [ML dictionarium, fr. LL diction-, dictio- word, fr. L, speak]ing 1: a reference book containing words usu. alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactical and idiomatic uses 2: a reference book listing alphabetically terms or names important to a particular subject or activity along with discussion of their meanings and applications 3: a general comprehensive list, collection, or repository of information alphabetically arranged.

This hypertext Webster interface was written by bsy@cs.cmu.edu (now bsy@cs.ucsd.edu)
Contact bsy

bsy only wrote the interface and has no control over the contents

FIGURE 3

Hypertext Webster Interface

Webster Definition for tag

1. tag \'tag\ n [ME tagge, prob. of Scand origin; akin to Sw tagg barb] 1: a loose hanging piece of cloth : TATTER 2: a metal or plastic binding on an end of a shoelace 3: a piece of hanging or attached material; specif: a loop, knot, or tassel on a garment 4a1: a brief quotation used for rhetorical emphasis or sententious effect 4a2: a hackneyed saying: CLICHE 4b: a recurrent or characteristic verbal expression 5a: a cardboard, plastic, or metal marker used for identification or classification 5b: a descriptive or identifying epithet 6: a small piece of tinsel or other bright material around the shank of the hook at the end of the body of an artificial fly 7: a detached fragmentary piece: VESTIGE.

2. tag vb or tagged; or tag.ging 1: to provide or mark with or as if with a tag: as 1a: to supply with an identifying marker 1b: to provide with a name or epithet: IDENTIFY 1c: to put a ticket on for a traffic violation 2: to attach as an addition: APPEND 3: to follow closely and persistently 4: to hold responsible for something; esp: to charge with violating the law 5: LABEL : to keep close.

3. tag n [origin unknown] 1: a game in which one player chases others and tries to make one of them it by touching him 2: an act or instance of tagging a runner in baseball.

4. tag vt or tagged; or tag.ging 1a: to touch in or as if in a game of tag 1b: to put out (a runner in baseball) by a touch with the ball or the gloved hand containing the ball 2: to hit solidly: STRIKE 3: SELECT.

This hypertext Webster interface was written by bsy@cs.cmu.edu (now bsy@cs.ucsd.edu)
Contact bsy

Passons à un dictionnaire qui donne et définition et illustration, The Electronic Oxford Wordpower Dictionary, qui cite la forme infinitive et l'illustre par d'autres formes du verbe.

Dans la liste des substantifs il en manque au moins un, boarder, celui qui monte à bord comme dans l'expression, be prepared to repel all boarders (Soyez prêt à repousser tous ceux qui nous attaquent, ou, Soyez prêts à faire face à la foule).

Si les exemples auxquels nous avons fait allusion constituent des outils de travail avantageux pour certains écoliers, ils ne sont pas d'une très grande valeur pour l'universitaire ou même pour celui qui cherche à comprendre. Il est évident que la concordance ou une version de concordance aurait été utile dans ces programmes.

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