Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
Nickname for a swot or studious person, or one who uses needlessly complicated words.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings or senses, oftentimes also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wordbook
noun
A reference work on a particular subject or activity in which the entries are arranged alphabetically; an alphabetical encyclopedia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person or thing regarded as a repository or compendium of information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The collection of words used or understood by a particular person; vocabulary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, especially, possessive, with-of
Qualifier: frequently figurative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: preceded by the
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An associative array, or a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a dictionary (noun sense 1).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: hash table
verb
To look up in a dictionary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To add to a dictionary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To compile a dictionary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: lexicon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wordbook
Narrower terms: bilingual dictionary, desk dictionary, collegiate dictionary, etymological dictionary, gazetteer, learner's dictionary, school dictionary, pocket dictionary, little dictionary, spell-checker, spelling checker, unabridged dictionary, unabridged
History
From dictionary.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin dictiō Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Italic *-om Latin -um Latin -ārium ▲ Latin dictiō ▲ Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Latin dictiōnārius? Medieval Latin dictiōnāriumlbor. Middle English dixionare English dictionary From Middle English dixionare, a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, from Latin dictiōnārius, from dictiō (“a speaking”), from dictus, perfect past participle of dīcō (“to speak”) + -ārium (“room, place”). By surface analysis, diction + -ary.
Across languages
547 source translations are retained for this English entry.
