What are guide words in a dictionary?

Guide words in a dictionary are words found at the top of each page that indicate the first and last entries on that page. They help users quickly locate specific words by showing the range of entries that can be found, facilitating a more efficient search through the dictionary. For instance, if the guide words say "apple" and "banana," you know that all entries between those two words can be found on that particular page. This function enhances the user experience by minimizing the time spent flipping through pages to find a specific word.

Other choices do not accurately describe guide words. For example, indicating a section theme refers to broader categorization rather than the specific utility of guide words in locating dictionary entries. Words that show alphabetical entries might suggest an indexing feature, but that isn't the primary role of guide words. Similarly, marking important definitions would refer to specific definitions and not to the summary information provided at the page header that guide words offer.