index
/ˈɪndɛks/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms indexes indices indexing indexed index's
- noun An alphabetical listing of items and their location. “The index of a book lists words or expressions and the pages of the book upon which they are to be found.”
- noun The index finger; the forefinger.
- noun A movable finger on a gauge, scale, etc.
- noun (typography) 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. “Among the gravity indexes is the severance of diplomatic relations.”
- noun A sign; an indication; a token.
- noun (linguistics) 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 (economics) A single number calculated from an array of prices or of quantities.
- verb (transitive) To arrange an index for something, especially a long text. “MySQL does not index short words and common words.”
- verb To inventory; to take stock.
- verb (chiefly economics) To normalise in order to account for inflation; to correct for inflation by linking to a price index in order to maintain real levels.
- verb To measure by an associated value.
- verb (linguistics, transitive) To be indexical for (some situation or state of affairs); to indicate.
- verb (computing) To access a value in a data container by an index.
- verb (mechanical engineering, transitive) To use a mechanism to move an object to a precise location.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Miller County, Arkansas.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Morgan County, Kentucky.
- proper noun A ghost town in Cass County, Missouri.
- proper noun A small hamlet in Otsego County, New York.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in King George County, Virginia.
Synonyms
arrow-finger demonstrator first finger forefinger index finger lickpot pointer pointer finger pointling showing finger teacher trigger finger manicule see others in Wikipedia at manicule § Terminology indicator index number indicant exponent power
Etymology
From Latin index (“a discoverer, informer, spy; of things, an indicator, the forefinger, a title, superscription”), from indicō (“point out, show”); see indicate.
Webster’s 1913
- noun That which points out; that which shows, indicates, manifests, or discloses.
- noun That which guides, points out, informs, or directs; a pointer or a hand that directs to anything, as the hand of a watch, a movable finger on a gauge, scale, or other graduated instrument. In printing, a sign [*] used to direct particular attention to a note or paragraph; --called also fist.
- verb To provide with an index or table of references; to put into an index; as, to index a book, or its contents.
Etymology [L.: cf. F. index. See Indicate, Diction.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “index”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details