dictionary

plural dictionaries · alternative obsolete dictionnary · alternative obsolete pronunciation spelling dixnary

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.First known use c. 1480

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

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   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).

   1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 7, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 339

   1. preceded by theA synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.

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

      1930, Norman Lindsay, chapter 6, in Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, section I, page 106

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

      2019, John Hughes, Life Pre-Intermediate Student's Book, National Geographic Learning, page 188

   2. broadlyA reference work on a particular subject or activity in which the entries are arranged alphabetically; an alphabetical encyclopedia.

      a law dictionary

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      a dictionary of sports

2. figurativelywith of or a possessiveThe collection of words used or understood by a particular individual.First known use 1570s

   Synonyms: lexicon, vocabulary

3. figurativelySomeone or something regarded as a repository or compendium of information.First known use 1730s

   walking dictionary

4. computingAn 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).First known use 1950s

   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.

   2011, Jon Galloway, Phil Haack, Brad Wilson, Professional ASP.NET MVC 3

present singular third person dictionaries · participle present dictionarying · participle past dictionaried · past dictionaried · alternative obsolete dictionnary · alternative obsolete pronunciation spelling dixnary

1. transitiveTo look up in a dictionary.
2. transitiveTo add to a dictionary.

   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.

   2001, The Michigan Alumnus, page 25

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   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.

   1866, William Henry Ward, The international day, night, and fog signal telegraph, page 12

3. intransitiverareTo compile a dictionary.

   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?

   1864 September 28, “The Alphabeticals”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 96, number 587, Edinburgh: William Blackwood, page 334, column 2

1. Nickname for a swot or studious person, or one who uses needlessly complicated words.

   His friends called him "Dictionary." There were other names they called him that were far worse.

   1993, Fred Hartley, That Morals Thing, page 31

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   He won a scholarship to a prestigious British inspired secondary school, Government College in Umuahia, and also gained a reputation for knowledge in his home village, where they called him Dictionary.

   1996, Kirk H. Beetz, Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction

   Hillis Brown turned toward Simon and whispered, "Hey, DICtionary^([sic]), don't worry, just because you sing like Johnny doesn't mean you gotta be a faggot."

   2002, Bart Schneider, Secret Love, page 67

   Meanwhile, he applied himself so diligently to his formal education that schoolmates called him “Dictionary.” This effort won him admission to a British-run boarding school with an excellent library.

   2013, Bridgette Kasuka, African Writers, page 404