When you want to find out the meaning of a word;
(a) find the correct quarter
(b) fond the correct guide words.
(c) find the headword.
(d) choose the grammatical class e.g. noun (c/unc.)/adj./adv./v./perp. etc.
(e) there may be more meanings, choose the meaning according to your situation or sentence.

Example:

1. Read the following dictionary entry and answer the question about it.
great /greit/ adj. {usually attrib.}very large, much bigger than average in size. He lived a great age. 2. of excellent quality of ability; outstanding; a great man. 3. (infml.) wonderful, very good.

Questions:
(a) What does adj. mean?
(b) In above dictionary entry, what is the headword?
(c) Does the following sentence come from definition 1, 2, or 3?

Answers:
(a) adjective
(b) great
(c) from the first definition.

Exercise:

1. Study the following entry from the Oxford Dictionary and answer the questions given at the end.
catalogue (LIST), US usually catalog noun [C] 1. a book or booklet containing list of items; library catalogue, an exhibition catalogue,. 2. [fig.] series; a catalogue of disaster ► catalogue v [in.], list sth. in a catalogue.

Questions:
(a) How many syllables are there in the given entry?
(b) Which syllable do you think receive stress?
(c) Write the full form of ‘fig’.
(d) What does ‘sth’ stand for?
(e) Make one sentence using given entry in verb form.

Answers:
(a) 3
(b) First
(c) Figurative
(d) Something
(e) Catalogue the books in alphabetical order.