Variants

An alternate spelling or form of an entry word is called a variant. Variants are shown in boldface after the entry word and are preceded by or or also. The label or means that the variant is as common or nearly as common as the entry word. The entry word is usually the form that comes first alphabetically:

Entry Word: egotistic
Function: adjective
Text: or egotistical

lighted
Function: adjective
Text: or lit

OK
Function: verb
Text: or okay

However, if one of the spellings or forms is used slightly more frequently, the more common one is entered first even though it may not fall first alphabetically:

Entry Word: gizmo
Function: noun
Text: or gismo

A variant that is preceded by the label also is not as common as the entry word:

Entry Word: among
Function: preposition
Text: also amongst

Entry Word: facade
Function: noun
Text: also façade

Entry Word: naught
Function: noun
Text: also nought

When two variants are separated from the entry word by also but from each other by or, it means that they are both less common than the entry word:

Entry Word: bogey
Function: noun
Text: also bogy or bogie

Variants are also given in the word lists:

Entry Word: zero
Function: noun
Text: 1 the numerical symbol 0 or the absence of number or quantity represented by it <anything multiplied by zero comes out to zero>
Synonyms: aught, cipher, goose egg, naught (also nought), nil, nothing, oh, zilch, zip

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