例如： anthropology is the scientific study of man. 由定义可知，anthropology就是"研究人类的科学"。
In slang the term "jam" constitutes a state of being in which a personfinds himself ＯＲ herself in a difficult situation. 同样，从上下文的定义可知jam一词在俚语中的意思是"困境"。 定义句的谓语动词多为：be, mean, deal with, be considered, to be, refer to,be called, be known as, define, represent, signify, constitute等。
Capacitance, ＯＲ the ability to store electric charge, is one of the most common characteristics of electronic circuits.
由同位语我们很快猜出生词capacitance词义---电容量。需要注意的是：同位语前还常有or, similarly, that is to say, in other words, namely, ＯＲ other,say i. e.等副词或短语出现。
定语从句Krabacber suffers from SAD, which is short for seasonal affective disorder,a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings.
根据生词SAD后面定语从句which is short for seasonal affective disorder和同位语a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings,我们可以推断出SAD含义，即"季节性情绪紊乱症"。
根据举例猜测词义恰当的举例能够提供猜测生词的重要线索，例如： The consequences of epochal events such as wars ＡＮＤ great scientific discoveries are not confined to a small geographical area as they were inthe past. 句中"战争"和"重大科学发现"是生词的实例，通过它们我们可以猜出epochal的大致词义"重要的"，这与其确切含义"划时代的"十分接近。
例如：Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother, in contrast,is quite humble ＡＮＤ modest. 该例中supercilious对许多人来说可能是个生词，但是句中短语in contrast，(相对照的，相对比的)可以提示我们supercilious和后面词组humble ＡＮＤ modest(谦卑又谦虚)是对比关系。分析出这种关系后，我们便能猜出supercilious意为"目空一切的，傲慢的"。
A good supervisor can recognize instantly the adept workers from the unskilled ones. 该句中并未出现上面提到的表示对比关系的词或短语，但是通过上下文可以判断出句子前后是对比关系，即把熟练工人与非熟练工人区分开。这时我们也能够推断出生词adept的词义，"熟练的"。
2．根据比较关系猜测词义
同对比关系相反，比较关系表示意义上的相似关系，例如： Green loves to talk，and his brothers are similarly loquacious.该句中副词similarly表明短语loves to talk与生词loquacious之间的比较关系。以此可以推断出loquacious词义为"健谈的"。 表示比较关系的词和短语主要是similarly，like，just as，also等。
3．根据因果关系猜测词义
在句子或段落种，若两个事物、现象之间构成因果关系，我们可以根据这种逻辑关系推知生词词义。
例如： Tom is considered an autocratic administrator because he makes decisions without seeking the opinions of others. 根据原因状语从句的内容，我们可以推断出生词autocratic指"独断专行的"。
There were so many demonstrators in the Red Square that he had to elbow hisway through the crowd. 此句为结果状语从句，根据从句的描书"许多示威者"，我们便可推知elbow的词意"挤，挤过"。
4．根据同义词的替代关系猜测词义
在句子或段落种，我们可以利用熟悉的词语，根据语言环境推断生词词义。
例如： Although he often had the opportunity, Mr. Tritt was never able to steal money from a customer. This would have endangered his position at the bank,and he did not want to jeopardize his future. 作者为避免重复使用endanger一词，用其同义词jeopardize来替代它，由此推知其词义为"使。 . .陷入危险，危及、危害"。
Doctors believe that smoking cigarettes is detrimental to your health. Theyalso regard drinking as harmful. 句中detrimental四个生词，但判断出harmful替代detrimental后，不难推断出其词义为"不利的，有害的"。
三、外部相关因素
外部相关因素是指篇章(句子或段落)以外的其他知识。有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词义。这时，就需要运用生活经验和普通常识确定词义。例如： Husband：it’s really cold out tonight.Wife: Sure it is. My hands are practically numb.How about lighting the furnace? 根据生活经验，天气寒冷时，手肯定是"冻僵的，冻得麻木的"。
The snake slithered through the grass.
根据有关蛇的生活习性的知识，我们可以推断出slither词义为"爬行"。
在猜测词义过程中，除了使用上面提到的一些技巧，我们还可以依靠构词方面的知识，从生词本身猜测词义。
1．根据前缀猜测词义例如：
He fell into a ditch ＡＮＤ lay there, semiconscious, for a few minutes.根据词根conscious(清醒的，有意识的)，结合前缀semi(半，部分的，不完全的)，我们便可猜出semiconscious词义"半清醒的，半昏迷的"。
I’m illiterate about such things.词根literate意为"有文化修养的，通晓的"，前缀il表示否定，因此illiterate指"一窍不通，不知道的"。
2．根据后缀猜测词义例如：
Insecticide is applied where it is needed.后缀cide表示"杀者，杀灭剂"，结合大家熟悉的词根insect(昆虫)，不难猜出insecticide意为"杀虫剂"。
Then the vapor may change into ；lets.后缀let表示"小的"，词根；指"滴，滴状物"。将两个意思结合起来，便可推断出；let词义"小滴，微滴"。
3．根据复合词的各部分猜测词义例如：
Growing economic problems were highlighted by a slowdown in oil output.Hightlight或许是一个生词，但是分析该词结构后，就能推测出其含义。它是由high(高的，强的)和light(光线)两部分组成，合在一起便是"以强光照射，使突出"的意思。
Bullfight is very popular in Spain.Bull(公牛)和fight(打，搏斗)结合在一起，指一种在西班牙颇为流行的体育运动---斗牛。
