# dictionary

Pronunciation: US say "DIK-shuh-nair-ee" /ˈdɪk.ʃəˌnɛ.ɹi/; UK say "DIK-shuh-nuh-ree" /ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/

## Noun

1. A reference book, website or app that lists words, usually alphabetically, giving their meanings or equivalents in another language and often spelling, pronunciation and origins; also seen as the authority on which words are proper.
   - Simple: A book, website or app that lists words in order and explains what they mean or gives them in another language.
   - _She reached for the dictionary to check the spelling of a tricky word._
   - _The library keeps several dictionaries from different centuries on display._
2. A reference work covering a single subject or activity, with its entries arranged alphabetically; essentially an alphabetical encyclopedia.
   - Simple: A book about one topic that lists its facts in order from A to Z.
   - _Her dictionary of architecture runs from 'abacus' to 'ziggurat,' with a drawing for nearly every entry._
   - _Scholars often consult specialized dictionaries before writing about an unfamiliar field._
3. A saved list of words or terms that software compares text with, for example to check spelling, complete words, or guess passwords.
   - Simple: A saved list of words that a computer program compares text with, for spelling, suggesting words, or guessing passwords.
   - _Add technical terms to the spell checker's custom dictionary so they stop getting flagged._
   - _Passwords made of ordinary words fall quickly to an attack that runs through a large dictionary._
4. Someone or something seen as a rich store or comprehensive source of information.
   - Simple: A person or thing that seems to know or hold a huge amount of information.
   - _Her mentor was a living dictionary of courtroom procedure._
   - _To the young crew, the old harbor master was a walking dictionary of tides, wrecks, and local lore._
5. The whole collection of words that a particular person knows or uses; their vocabulary.
   - Simple: All the words that one person knows or uses.
   - _The critic sneered that the politician's entire dictionary consisted of slogans._
   - _Words like compromise and patience simply did not exist in the general's dictionary._
6. A data structure in which each value is stored and retrieved by a unique key, much like words paired with definitions in a printed dictionary.
   - Simple: A way of storing information in a computer so each piece has its own name you use to find it.
   - _The function returns a dictionary mapping each country to its capital city._
   - _Python dictionaries store key-value pairs and allow fast lookups._

## Verb

7. To look up a word or its meaning in a dictionary. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To search for a word's meaning in a dictionary.
8. To enter a word or term into a dictionary as a recognized entry. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To put a new word into a dictionary.
9. To compile a dictionary, gathering and arranging its words and their definitions. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To make a dictionary by collecting and arranging words.

## Origin

A learned borrowing that came through Middle English dixionare from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, possibly via Latin dictiōnārius, ultimately from dictiō ('a speaking'), from dictus, the past participle of dīcō ('to speak'), plus -ārium ('room, place'). It can be analyzed as diction + -ary.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dictionary (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).