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dictionary Definition

dic·tion·ary (dik′s̸hə ner′ē)

noun pl. -·ar′·ies

  1. a book of alphabetically listed words in a language, with definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, and other information; lexicon
  2. a book of alphabetically listed words in a language with their equivalents in another language a Spanish-English dictionary
  3. any alphabetically arranged list of words or articles relating to a special subject a medical dictionary

Etymology: ML dictionarium < LL dictio: see diction

dictionary Synonyms

dictionary

n.

glossary, lexicon, wordbook, word list, vocabulary, thesaurus, concordance, reference work, gazetteer, encyclopedia, cyclopedia, dictionary of synonyms, promptory, promptorium (Latin), lexicographical work, unabridged dictionary, desk dictionary, college dictionary, bilingual dictionary; dictionary of religion, dictionary of airplane mechanics, dictionary of law, etc., Webster's*; see also reference 3.

Dictionary Hacker Definition
In cracking terms, a dictionary is a word list that plugs into cracking programs as a means of “breaking” passwords. These dictionaries contain real words and those that individuals tend to choose for passwords. Because it takes only a few minutes to go through hundreds of thousands of words in a dictionary to crack a password, computer users are warned not to select a word that may be commonly found in a dictionary. In theory, users tend to select passwords that they have used previously. A popular password is NCC1701, which was the registry number for Captain James T. Kirk’s starship, the Enterprise, on the original “Star Trek” television series. Children’s names and anniversary dates are also popular passwords.

See Also: Cracking; Password.

Graham, R. Hacking Lexicon. [Online, 2001.] Robert Graham Website. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/resource_files/documentation/hacking-dict.html.
dictionary Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • slang: This reference work is filled with expressions that perplex ESL students, yet do not often appear in dictionaries of slang or idiomatic English.
  • quotation: It's also possible to search a dictionary of quotations which includes quotes from Laurie Anderson to Victor Hugo.

Converse of object

  • rhyme: It has word look up, rhyming dictionary, verse creator, experiments, games, puzzles and much more.
  • compile: He compiled the first English dictionary of arts and sciences.
  • consult: At this point only, you may consult a dictionary to check spelling or usage.
  • specialize: It was noted that students with dyslexia were permitted to use specialized electronic dictionaries.
  • translate: Travlang's translating dictionaries A wide variety of combinations of bilingual dictionaries.

Adjective modifier

  • bilingual: Check whether parents would be able to provide a bilingual dictionary for the pupil.
  • bidirectional: It features the largest and most complete English Polish English bidirectional dictionary, thesaurus, and an expanded grammar reference section.
  • monolingual: Apply these same principles when writing yourself, by using a monolingual dictionary or creating phrases in a similar way.
  • multilingual: A multilingual dictionary covering English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish.
  • biographical: On which further articles for the biographical dictionary BJ is to take on.
  • searchable: Our searchable dictionary of the dismal science... www.economist.com search.. .

Modifies a noun

  • definition: A dictionary definition of a blunder is " a gross mistake " .
  • lookup: They are used to quickly compare dictionary keys during a dictionary lookup.
  • entry: Overview of all the dictionary entries in the Main Window.

Noun used with modifier

  • slang: Type " slang word " in the location bar to look up something in the people's slang dictionary.
  • pronunciation: The second uses the phonotactic information available within pronunciation dictionaries to model British and American accented speech.
  • handheld: The Language Tutor is stored on a compact special card to be easily inserted into your handheld dictionary.
  • data: The SPSS data dictionary files are specified in Appendix 7.3.
dictionary Quotes

His slang†was always a little out of date, as though he had studied in a dictionary of popular usage, but not in the latest edition.

—Greene, (Henry) Graham

There's no place where success comes before work, except in the dictionary.

—Kimball, Donald M

My father still reads the dictionary every day. He says that your life depends on your power to master words.

—Scargill, Arthur

I've been in Who's Who and I know what's what, but it's the first time I ever made the dictionary.

—West, Mae

Like Webster's dictionary, we're Morocco bound.

—Burke,Johnny

He understood†Walt Whitman, who laid end to end words never seen in each other's company before outside of a dictionary, and Herman Melville who split the atom of the traditional novel in the effort to make whaling a universal metaphor.

—Lodge, David John

'When you say ''hill'','the Queen interrupted,'I could show you hills, in comparison with which you'd call that a valley.' 'No, I shouldn't,'said Alice, surprised into contradicting her at last: 'a hill can't be a valley, you know. That would be nonsenseö' The Red Queen shook her head.'You may call it ''nonsense'' if you like,'shesaid,'but I've heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!'

—Dodgson

   Think of the heroism of Johnson, think of that superb indifference to mortal limitation that set him upon his dictionary, and carried him through triumphantly until the end! Who, if he were wisely considerate of things at large, would ever embark upon any work much more considerable than a halfpenny post-card? Who would project a serial novel, afterThackeray and Dickens had each fallen in mid-course? Who would find heart enough to begin to live, if he dallied with the consideration of death?

—Stevenson, Robert Louis

What is the metre of the dictionary?

—Thomas, Dylan Marlais

Browse dictionary entries near dictionary

  1. ‹ diction
  2. ‹ dictatorship of the proletariat
  3. ‹ dictatorship
  4. ‹ dictatorial
  5. ‹ dictator
  6. ‹ dictation
  7. ‹ dictating machine
  8. ‹ dictate
  9. ‹ Dictaphone
  10. ‹ dicta
  1. Dictograph ›
  2. dictum ›
  3. dicty ›
  4. dicumarol ›
  5. did ›
  6. Didache ›
  7. didact ›
  8. didactic ›
  9. didactics ›
  10. didapper ›