Les définitions des disciplines scientifiques dans les dictionnaires et encyclopédies au XVIII e siècle

In France, the end of the Ancien Regime corresponds to the development of several lexicographical products, in particular universal dictionaries and encyclopedias, with the aim of transmitting the language to disseminate knowledge. From a scientific point of view, this period corresponds to a time of profound changes which impose new approaches and theories in scientific research.Our contribution aims to analyze the definition of certain scientific disciplines (in particular, astronomy, botany and chemistry) proposed by the lexicographers of universal dictionaries and encyclopedias of the end of the Ancien Regime in order to study the role of these lexicographical works in the dissemination of new scientific objectives associated with these disciplines.