dictionary — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each term's meanings or senses, often also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information.

   Broader terms

   wordbookreference workwork

   Examples

   If you want to know the meaning of a word, look it up in the dictionary.

   More examples (1)

   But what other kind(s) of syntactic information should be included in Lexical Entries? Traditional dictionaries such as Hornby's (1974) Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English include not only categorial information in their entries, but also information about the range of Complements which a given item permits (this information is represented by the use of a number/letter code).

2. A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each term's meanings or senses, often also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information. A synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.

   Examples

   Look it up in the dictionary, and what do you find?

   By 1986 the name Walkman was included as a word in the English dictionary.

3. A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each term's meanings or senses, often also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information. A reference work on a particular subject or activity in which the entries are arranged alphabetically; an alphabetical encyclopedia.

   Usage

   • broadly

   Examples

   a law dictionary

   a dictionary of sports

4. The collection of words used or understood by a particular individual.

   Usage

   • Figurative

   Synonyms

   lexiconvocabulary

5. Someone or something regarded as a repository or compendium of information.

   Usage

   • Figurative

   Examples

   walking dictionary

6. An associative array; a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a dictionary (noun sense 1).

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   User calls RouteCollection.GetVirtualPath, passing in a RequestContext, a dictionary of values, and an optional route name used to select the correct route to generate the URL.

Verb

1. To look up in a dictionary.

   Usage

   • Transitive

2. To add to a dictionary.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   By a reference to the following dictionaried abbreviations, the simplicity and harmony of each sentence will be manifestly apparent; although it does not embrace everything, and could not, as it would be far too voluminous for general use.

   Should I use a word that a lot of people use but isn't in the dictionary? Uncle Phil would rather get a root canal than say he was scrapbooking, because the word isn't dictionaried.

3. To compile a dictionary.

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • Rare

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   They [dictionary-makers] may have had their romance at home—may have been crossed in love, and thence driven to dictionarying; may have been involved in domestic tragedies—who can say?

Noun

1. a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

   Synonyms

   lexicon

   Broader terms

   wordbook