Usage
The template ((defn)) is used in template-structured glossaries to create definitions of terms.
It is a wrapper for <dd>...</dd>, the description list definition HTML element. The template has a mnemonic redirect at ((dd)).
Basic usage:
((glossary)) ((term|1=term)) ((defn|1=Definition.)) ((glossary end))
Links, inline templates, reference citations, wikimarkup styles, etc., can be applied to the definition. Technically, the |1= part is optional if the content of the definition does not contain the "=" character, but as any editors can add content, including templates with this character in them, it is always safest to explicitly name the parameter. The |1= parameter can also be called |defn= for those who don't care for numeric parameters.
- This will work: ((defn|1=The concept that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content, expressed by the formula E=MC²))
- This will work: ((defn|defn=The concept that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content, expressed by the formula E=MC²))
- This will fail: ((defn|The concept that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content, expressed by the formula E=MC²))
More complex usage might be:
((defn|1=Definition. |no=# |term=term_id))
where |no=# gives a leading number for a definition in a list of definitions, and |term=term_id provides the name of the term used in the ((Term)) template to which this definition pertains.
Images, hatnotes and other content
Images, hatnotes and other "add-in" content intended to immediately follow the ((term)) must be used at the top of (inside) the first ((defn)) of the ((term)). They cannot be placed between the ((term)) and ((defn)) or it will break the glossary markup. Images can, of course, be placed elsewhere within the ((defn)), and bottom-notes like ((more)) can be placed at the ends of but inside the content of ((defn))s.
((glossary))
((term |1=colour ball |content=colour ball ((anchor|coloured ball|coloured balls|colour|colours|color ball))))
((defn|1=
[[File:Set of Snookerballs.png|thumb|right|150px|A complete set of snooker balls, with six '''colour balls''']]
((ghat|Also '''coloured ball(s)''', '''colour(s)'''; American spelling '''color''' sometimes also used.))
In [[snooker]], any of the ((cuegloss|object ball))s that are not ((cuegloss|red ball|reds)).
))
((glossary end))
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Multiple definitions for one term
If a single ((term)) has multiple definitions, they are simply numbered with the |2=parameter explicitly. Think of the parameter as standing for "2nd or later definition". You can also call it |no=, if you prefer (from "No.") Example:
((glossary))
((term|1=blubbermonster))
((defn|1=Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. |no=1))
((defn|1=Consectetur adipisicing elit. |no=2))
((glossary end))
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Because of the uneven length of definitions, it is usually more convenient to put the |2= before the |1= description:
((defn |2=1 |1=Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.))
or
((defn |no=1 |1=Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.))
This is a very robust method, because it permits complex content like block quotations, nested lists, cross-reference hatnotes, and other block-level markup inside each definition. The definitions can also be independently linked.
Use of a "standard" hatnote with a numbered definition would require manual numbering or it would look weird. But this method is deprecated anyway. An example of forcing it to kinda work:
((term|1=blackjack|content=blackjack((anchor|Blackjack)) ))
((defn |1=((main|Blackjack))))
((defn|no=1|1=A card game in which players attempt to approach 21 but not exceed it.))
((defn|no=2|1=The best possible hand in the game of blackjack, made up of an ace and a card valued at 10 (namely, 10, J, Q, K). ))
It's better to use the ((ghat)) template, for glossary hatnotes, and put it inside the first (or most applicable) definition. This obviates creating a pseudo-definition to hold the hatnote, as shown above. ((Ghat)) (which uses Module:Hatnote inline) has some CSS adjustments to work better than ((Hatnote)) and its derivatives, when used inside a definition.
Making the definition independently linkable
Most of the restrictions on the content of
idhave been removed, soidvalues no longer have to begin with an[a-z][A-Z]alphabetic character, avoid most punctuation marks, or suffer other such limitations. Wikipedia's MediaWiki engine is smart enough to auto-escape any problematic characters, on the fly.
((term)) (or it must be the |id=foo value, if any, used in ((term))). This must be unique on the page for each term, but should be the same for multiple definitions of the same term). This is done with the ((defn))'s |term= parameter. This will produce a #-link target ID in the form term-defn#, where the # is the number of the definition (see #Multiple definitions for one term, above), defaulting to "1". Example:
((glossary))
((term|1=blubbermonster))
((defn|no=1 |1=Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. |term=blubbermonster))
((defn|no=2 |1=Consectetur adipisicing elit. |term=blubbermonster))
((term|1=snorkelweasel (noun)))
((defn|1=Ut enim ad minim veniam |term=snorkelweasel (noun)))
((glossary end))
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HTML output:
<dl class="glossary">
<dt class="glossary" id="blubbermonster" style="margin-top: 0.4em;"><dfn class="glossary">blubbermonster</dfn></dt>
<dd class="glossary" id="blubbermonster-defn1">1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.</dd>
<dd class="glossary" id="blubbermonster-defn2">2. Consectetur adipisicing elit.</dd>
<dt class="glossary" id="snorkelweasel_(noun)" style="margin-top: 0.4em;"><dfn class="glossary">snorkelweasel (noun)</dfn></dt>
<dd class="glossary" id="snorkelweasel_(noun)-defn1">Ut enim ad minim veniam</dd>
</dl>
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Note that some characters in snorkelweasel (noun)" have been converted on the fly by MediaWikia by the time it sends the ID to the browser as snorkelweasel_.28noun.29-defn1. You can still link to it on this page as #snorkelweasel (noun)-defn1 (view page source and see for yourself – that link has href=#snorkelweasel_.28noun.29-defn1).
The IDs blubbermonster-defn1, blubbermonster-defn2, and snorkelweasel_(noun)-defn1 are all individually linkable, e.g. as [[Glossary of weird terms#blubbermonster-defn1]]. This is especially useful for cross-references within the glossary, e.g. See also [[#blubbermonster-defn2|"blubbermonster", sense 2]].
To add more than one linkable anchor, use the ((anchor)) template at the beginning of the definition's content:
((defn|no=2|1=((anchor|elit|Elit))Consectetur adipisicing elit.|term=blubbermonster))
Languages
There is no |lang= parameter, as on English Wikipedia all definitions are necessarily in English. For uses of glossary markup for non-glossary purposes in which some content may be in a foreign language, use language templates. E.g. in a list of film title translations formatted using glossary markup:
((glossary))
((term|1=Titles of La Vie en Rose in various languages |content=Titles of ''[[La Vie en Rose]]'' in various languages))
((defn|1=French: ''((lang|fr|La Vie en Rose))''))
((defn|1=English: ''Life in Pink''))
...
((glossary end))
Examples
This shows both a very simple then a rather complex instance:
((fake heading|A–M))
((glossary))
((term|1=applesnorkel))
((defn|1=Definition of term 1.))
((term|term=arglefarst |content=((lang|xx|arglefarst))((anchor|argle-farst|argle farst)) ))
((defn|no=1 |defn=
Beginning of first definition of term 2
((gbq|1=Block quotation in first definition of term 2.))
Conclusion of first definition of term 2.
))
((defn|no=2 |defn=Second definition of term 2.))
((glossary end))
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Applying CSS styles to the definition
The |style= parameter will pass CSS styling on to the <dd> element, e.g. |style=font-family:serif; or whatever. I.e., this styles the definition itself, not the term it applies to, other definitions, or the glossary as a whole. This feature is rarely if ever needed in articles, but can be useful elsewhere for things like matching custom user page style.
Other parameters
The |id= parameter can be used to assign a one-word, case-sensitive ID name to definition. It must be unique on the page. This can be used as a #link target, and could have other metadata uses. See the #Making the definition independently linkable section for how to normally make a definition linkable. Probably the only reason to use this feature is if there are two terms with the same name on the page, which would result in conflicting IDs.
The |class= parameter will pass one or more space-separated CSS classes on to <dd> element, in addition to the automatically included class glossary. There is rarely any reason to do this.
See also
((glossary))a.k.a.((glossary start))or((glossary begin))– Half of a template pair; uses<dl>with a class to open the structured glossary definition list that((glossary end))closes.((glossary end))– The other half of this template pair; uses</dl>to close the definition list that((glossary))opens.((term))– The glossary term to which the((defn))definition applies; a customized<dt>with a class and an embedded<dfn>.((defn))– The definition that applies to the((term)); uses<dd>with a class((ghat))– a hatnote template properly formatted for the top of a((defn))definition((gbq))a.k.a.((gquote))– a block quotation template properly formatted for inclusion in a((defn))definition((glossary link))– meta-template for creating shortcut templates for linking to definitions in specific glossaries- Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Glossaries
- Not to be confused with ((dfn))