Thesaurus
A thesaurus (plural thesauri or thesauruses) or synonym dictionary is a reference
work for finding synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words. They are often
used by writers to help find the best word to express an idea.
Synonym dictionaries have a long history. The word 'thesaurus' was used in
1852 by Peter Mark Roget for his Roget's Thesaurus. While some thesauri, such
as Roget's Thesaurus, group words in a hierarchical hypernymic taxonomy of
concepts, others are organized alphabetically or in some other way. Most
thesauri do not include definitions, but many dictionaries include listings of
synonyms.[Beekes R. p. 548]
Some thesauri and dictionary synonym notes characterize the distinctions
between similar words, with notes on their "connotations and varying shades of
meaning". Some synonym dictionaries are primarily concerned with
differentiating synonyms by meaning and usage. Usage manuals such as
Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage often prescribe appropriate usage
of synonyms. [Vocabulary.com]
Beekes R. (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Greek. Boston: Brill
Vocabulary.com (2023). Thesaurus - definition, and meaning. Retrieved from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/thesaurus