index
/ˈɪndɛks/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.57 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An alphabetical listing of items and their location.
noun
The index finger; the forefinger.
noun
A symbol resembling a pointing hand, used to direct particular attention to a note or paragraph.
noun
That which points out; that which shows, indicates, manifests, or discloses.
noun
A sign; an indication; a token.
noun
A type of noun where the meaning of the form changes with respect to the context; e.g., 'Today's newspaper' is an indexical form since its referent will differ depending on the context. See also icon and symbol.
noun
A single number calculated from an array of prices or of quantities.
Example Sentences
- "The index of a book lists words or expressions and the pages of the book upon which they are to be found."
- "This encyclopedia includes a topical index."
- "Among the gravity indexes is the severance of diplomatic relations."
- "Tastes are the Indexes of the different Qualities of Plants."
- "His son's empty guffaws […] struck him with pain as the indices of a weak mind."
- "Their use of these words as epithets is an index of an appallingly low level of feminist awareness."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Old Latin en Latin in Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-s Latin -s Latin indexder. English index From Latin index (“a discoverer, informer, spy; of things, an indicator, the forefinger, a title, superscription”), from indicō (“point out, show”); see indicate.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *deyḱ-, index
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɪndɛks/
- British English: /ˈɪndɛks/