noun
dictionary
DIK-shuh-nair-ee/ˈdɪkʃəneri/
A reference that associates listed words with their meanings.
This dictionary lists words alphabetically and explains what each one means.
Etymology
The base meant a saying or expression, later a word. The name probably originated as a shortened expression for a “book of words,” connecting individual expressions with a collected reference work.
In context
the first dictionary is 1604
More examples
- I check the dictionary whenever I find an unfamiliar word.
- Some dictionaries show several ways to pronounce the same word.
- The program stores each word and its meaning in a dictionary.
Forms
dictionary · dictionaries