| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-13页 |
| Chapter1 Introduction | 第13-18页 |
| ·Objective of the research | 第13页 |
| ·Significance of the research | 第13-14页 |
| ·Rationale for the research | 第14-16页 |
| ·The suggestion to modify the traditional method of defining and the prerequisite of adapting it | 第14-15页 |
| ·The encyclopedic view of meaning and its inspiration to explore new ways of defining | 第15-16页 |
| ·The research questions | 第16页 |
| ·The research methodology | 第16页 |
| ·Outline of the thesis | 第16-18页 |
| Chapter2 A Survey of the Defining Method of Natural-Kind Nouns | 第18-28页 |
| ·A review of word meaning | 第18-21页 |
| ·The traditional method of defining natural-kind nouns | 第21-24页 |
| ·The traditional defining method and its shortcoming | 第22-24页 |
| ·The suggestion for modifying it | 第24页 |
| ·The prerequisite of improving it | 第24页 |
| ·Cognitive semantics and its implication | 第24-28页 |
| ·A review of cognitive semantics | 第25-26页 |
| ·Achievement of meaning research in cognitive semantics | 第26-27页 |
| ·The implication for exploring new defining method | 第27-28页 |
| Chapter3 Improving the Traditional Method of Defining Natural-KindNouns and Its Feasibility | 第28-35页 |
| ·Illustrating the prerequisite of improving the traditional defining method | 第28-29页 |
| ·The relationship between encyclopedic information and linguistic information | 第28-29页 |
| ·Different criteria for differentiating these two kinds of information | 第29-32页 |
| ·A synchronic approach | 第29-31页 |
| ·A diachronic approach | 第31-32页 |
| ·The applicability for differentiating these two kinds of information in practice | 第32-33页 |
| ·The feasibility of adapting the traditional defining method | 第33-35页 |
| Chapter4 Searching for New Method of Defining Natural-Kind Nouns on theBasis of Cognitive Semantics | 第35-48页 |
| ·The encyclopedic view of meaning | 第38-41页 |
| ·The main points of the encyclopedic view of meaning | 第38-40页 |
| ·Its inspiration to definition in lexicography | 第40-41页 |
| ·The "sketchy defining method" revisited | 第41-42页 |
| ·A proposed new method of defining natural-kind nouns in English ALD | 第42-44页 |
| ·The applicability of the new defining method | 第44-46页 |
| ·The merits and demerits of the new defining method | 第46-48页 |
| Chapter5 Conclusion | 第48-52页 |
| ·Major findings of the present research | 第48-50页 |
| ·Limitations of the present research | 第50-51页 |
| ·Suggestions for further research | 第51-52页 |
| Bibliography | 第52-58页 |
| Papers Published during 2008-2011 | 第58页 |
