To distinguish between different dictionary entries for the same term, follow the principle in our previous post on distinguishing between works with the same title: provide additional details in your parenthetical citation, usually the first unique piece of information in your works-cited-list entries.

For example, in the following works-cited-list entries for emoticon, the information in the “Title of source” slot—the headword—is identical:  

“Emoticon, N.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., Merriam-Webster, 2003, p. 408.

“Emoticon, N.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/249618?redirectedFrom=emoticon#eid.

To distinguish between these entries in your parenthetical citation, include a short form of the title and the name of the dictionary in brackets:

(“Emoticon” [Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary])

(“Emoticon” [Oxford English Dictionary])