JerryL
Well-Known Member
"just because the same word is used for two different things deosn't mean that the two things are similar. Usually the only similarity is the one which resulted in the same word being used in the first place (though in the case of troll (for example) there's no similarity at all)." - Post 457This is an excellent example. Do you seriously not see the similarity?
They are not seperated because they are not multiple words. Do you not understand how a dictionary works?So, are they similar or not? If not, why are they not separated like 1bill, 2bill, 3bill, 4bill, and 5bill?
I won't spend too much time on educating here, but suggest you google information on the topic.
Sometimes, you have more than one word with the same spelling, despite being different words. Sometimes they are not the same type of word (such as the noun "troll" and the verb "troll"), in which case they are identified by their type. Other times, they are the same type, in which case they are numbered.
In other instances, a single word has two or more seperate meaning (for example, a "ruler" is "one that rules", but it is also "smooth-edged strip (as of wood or metal) that is usually marked off in units (as inches) and is used as a straightedge or for measuring". Obviously, these are very different things, but they are the same word; so they get two different definitions under one entry.
"Law" is another example of this.