Explanatory Notes Capitalization

Inflected Forms Index   Attributive Nouns

Most entries in this dictionary begin with a lowercase letter. A few of these have an italicized label  often cap, which indicates that the word is as likely to be capitalized as not, that it is as acceptable with an uppercase initial as it is with one in lowercase. Some entries begin with an uppercase letter, which indicates that the word is usually capitalized. The absence of an initial capital or of an  often cap label indicates that the word is not ordinarily capitalized:
sa·tir·ic ...  adj
an·gli·cize ...  vt ...  often cap
Hal·low·een ...  n
The capitalization of entries that are open or hyphenated compounds is similarly indicated by the form of the entry or by an italicized label:
king cobra  n
² french fry  vt, often cap 1st F
neo-im·pres·sion·ism  ...  n, often cap N&I
un-Amer·i·can ...  adj
Dutch oven  n
Gloria Pa·tri ...  n
A word that is capitalized in some senses and lowercase in others shows variations from the form of the main entry by the use of italicized labels at the appropriate senses:
Gyp·sy ...  n ...  3  not cap
Sal·va·tion·ist ...  n ...  2  often not cap
har·py ...  n ...  1  cap
es·tab·lish·ment ...  n ...  2 ...  b  often cap