Use context clues to guess the word's meaning. Read the words around the unfamiliar word, or read the previous and/or following sentence to get a general meaning. Context clues can also reveal the word's part of speech---whether it is a verb, adjective or noun.
Look up the word in a general dictionary, such as Merriam Webster, the Oxford English Dictionary or an online dictionary. If there are multiple definitions, use context clues to determine which definition is most accurate.
Use a specialized dictionary, instead of a general dictionary, for specialized words. Specialized dictionary explain some words, such as medical or legal terms, in greater detail than a general dictionary.
Check to see if the dictionary uses the word in context. Some dictionaries use all words in a sentence in order to help readers better understand their meanings.