This book addresses a number of central issues in the field of lexical semantics. Starting off from an action-theoretical view of communication, meaning is defined as something that speakers do in dialogic language use. Meaning as ‘meaning-in-use’ opens up a new perspective on a number of aspects: how can we define the lexical unit? What about the make-up of the meaning side? Does polysemy really exist? And is encyclopaedic information to be fully integrated into the lexicon? These questions are examined along the analyses of authentic lexical material from corpora. At the end exemplary lexical entries represent both the expression and meaning side of the analyzed material, providing incentive not only for theory but also for practical applications like foreign language teaching, lexicography, translational studies, and so forth.