Basic Details
Word: Encyclopedia
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A book, set of books or website with articles on many subjects, usually arranged in alphabetical order.
Word origin: From Greek enkyklios paideia, 'all-round education'.
How to Spell Encyclopedia
Syllables: en - cy - clo - pe - di - a
Tricky part: The cyclo part has a y between two c's, as in cycle, and the pe before dia has an e. Encylopedia and encyclopidia are common slips.
Watch out for: encyclopidia, encylopedia, ensyclopedia, encyclopeadia
Memory tip: Find the cycle: en + cyclo + pedia. An encyclopedia takes you round a full cycle of subjects.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Rohit looked up the life cycle of frogs in the children's encyclopedia.
Example 2: Grandpa still keeps a 24-volume encyclopedia on the top shelf.
Example 3: Our class is making a mini encyclopedia of Indian birds.
Fun Fact
The Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published in Edinburgh, Scotland, in parts between 1768 and 1771.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
enc_cl_p_dia
a) y, o, i
b) i, o, e
c) y, a, e
d) y, o, e
Show answer
d) y, o, e. Cyclo has a y, just like cycle, and the pe before dia has an e.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled letters in the sentence hide a word. Choose it.
For her project on volcanoes, Kiran found a long article in the odpcecyilnea at the library.
a) epidemic
b) encyclopedia
c) encyclopedic
d) cyclone
Show answer
b) encyclopedia. Count the c's: there are only two, plus an a, so the word is encyclopedia rather than encyclopedic.
Spell-o-Spell
Find the correctly spelt word in the list and choose its meaning.
1. dictionery 2. atlass 3. thesorus 4. encyclopedia
a) a book of maps
b) a reference work with articles on many subjects
c) a book that lists words and their meanings
d) a book that groups words of similar meaning
Show answer
b) a reference work with articles on many subjects. Dictionary ends in ary, atlas has one s and thesaurus has au in the middle; encyclopedia is the one without a mistake.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Knowledge described as encyclopedic is ____.
a) very wide and complete
b) kept secret
c) small and narrow
d) old and out of date
Show answer
a) very wide and complete
2. Where would you look to read about the Mughal Empire, the life of a tiger and how rockets fly?
a) a telephone directory
b) an encyclopedia
c) a railway timetable
d) a recipe book
Show answer
b) an encyclopedia
