| abs | absorption |
| acc | according |
| alm | almost |
| amorph | amorphous |
| approx | approximate |
| asym | asymmetry, asymmetric |
| B | bright |
| bel | belong |
| BG | Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies |
| brightn | brightness |
| centr | central |
| CGCG | Catalogue of Galaxies and of Clusters of Galaxies |
| circ | circular |
| cl | cluster |
| classif | classify, classification |
| comp | companion |
| compl | complete |
| cond | condensation |
| cont | continue |
| coord | co-ordinates |
| CSCG | Catalogue of Selected Compact Galaxies and of Post-Eruptive Galaxies |
| descr | describe, description |
| de V | de Vaucouleurs |
| DDO | David Dunlap Observatory ("DDO" precedes numbers of objects in van den Bergh's catalogue of dwarf galaxies (1959, 1966)). |
| diam | diameter |
| dif | diffuse |
| disr | disrupted |
| distr | distribution |
| e | extremely |
| eastw | eastwards |
| ecc | eccentric |
| elong | elongated |
| em | emission |
| env | envelope |
| evid | evidence |
| exp | exposure, exposed |
| ext | extension, extended |
| F | faint |
| f | following |
| Ho | Holmberg |
| I | IC |
| ident | identify, identification |
| incl | include, including |
| indiv | individual |
| intercon | interconnected |
| invis | invisible |
| irr | irregular |
| M | Messier |
| Mark | Markarian |
| MCG | Morfologicheskij Katalog Galaktik (Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies) |
| N | NGC |
| n | north |
| northw | northwards |
| nr | number |
| nucl | nucleus, nuclear |
| obj | object |
| outw | outwards |
| p | preceding |
| PA | Palomar Atlas (Palomar Sky Survey) |
| pec | peculiar |
| phys | physical |
| pos | position |
| prob | probable, probably |
| pw or Pw | pair with |
| reg | region |
| S | small |
| s | south |
| Sep | separation, separated |
| sev | several |
| SN | supernova |
| southw | southwards |
| spir | spiral |
| stell | stellar |
| str | structure |
| superimp | superimposed |
| surf | surface |
| sym | symmetry, symmetrical |
| syst | system |
| tend | tendency |
| tow | towards |
| transp | transparent |
| U | UGC (Uppsala General Catalogue of Galaxies) |
| v | very; radial velocity referred to the sun |
| v0 | radial velocity corrected for solar motion |
| var | variable |
| vd B | van den Bergh |
| vic | vicinity |
| vis | visible |
| VV | Voroncov-Vel'jaminov ("VV" precedes numbers of systems in the Atlas and Catalogue of Interacting Galaxies) |
| w | with |
| westw | westwards |
| Zw | Zwicky (quotations from "Zw" refer to Catalogue of Selectedkcted Compact Galaxies and of Post-Eruptive Galaxies) |
| * | (in the Notes Section) star |
| ** | (in the Notes Section) stars |