INDEX | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

late Middle English: from Latin index, indic- ‘forefinger, informer, sign’, from in- ‘towards’ + a second element related to dicere ‘say’ or dicare ‘make known’; compare with indicate. The original sense ‘index finger’ (with which one points), came to mean ‘pointer’ (late 16th century), and figuratively something that serves to point to a fact or conclusion; hence a list of topics in a book (‘pointing’ to their location)

(in a book or set of books) an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc. with reference to the pages on which they are mentioned

alphabetical list in book

• clear cross references supplemented by a thorough index

a sign or measure of something

sign or measure of something

• exam results may serve as an index of the teacher's effectiveness

an exponent or other superscript or subscript number appended to a quantity.

exponent appended to quantity

a pointer on an instrument, showing a quantity, a position on a scale, etc.

pointer on instrument

record (names, subjects, etc.) in an index

record in index

• the list indexes theses under regional headings

link the value of (prices, wages, or other payments) automatically to the value of a price index

link value of prices etc. to price index

• the Supreme Soviet passed legislation indexing wages to prices

(of a machine or part of one) move from one predetermined position to another in order to carry out a sequence of operations

(of machine) move to predetermined positions

• the pins are retracted and indexed to occupy an adjacent slotted position