Dictionary

noun dictionaries · dictionnary · 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. If you want to know the meaning of a word, look it up in the dictionary.
2. A 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?
3. broadly A reference work on a particular subject or activity in which the entries are arranged alphabetically; an alphabetical encyclopedia. a law dictionary
4. figuratively The collection of words used or understood by a particular individual.
5. figuratively Someone or something regarded as a repository or compendium of information. 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). 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.

Similar: dict, dict., dictionary, explanatory dictionary, interpreter, lexicon

verb dictionaries · dictionarying · dictionaried · dictionnary · dixnary

1. transitive To look up in a dictionary.
2. transitive To add to a dictionary. 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.
3. intransitive, rare To 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?

proper noun

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.