"kalmar shigarwa" ba kalma ce da zata sami ma'anar ƙamus da kanta ba. "Entry" suna ne da ke nufin "aikin shigar," "wurin shiga," ko "wani abu a cikin jeri, katalogi, ko ƙamus." "Kalma" suna ne da ke nufin "raka'ar harshe, wanda ya ƙunshi sautuka ɗaya ko fiye da ake magana ko rubutaccen wakilci, wanda ke aiki a matsayin babban ma'ana."A cikin mahallin ƙamus. “kalmar shigarwa” yawanci tana nufin kalmar da aka ayyana ko aka siffanta a waccan shigarwar. Misali, a cikin shigarwar ƙamus na kalmar "apple," "apple" zai zama kalmar shigarwa.