My favorite dictionary search site is
OneLook®. In fact, it's the only place I go. For lots of reasons.
As of this moment they've indexed 18,373,069 words in 1052 dictionaries.
That's a lot of words. That's a lot of dictionaries. The number might include other references, too.
I think those numbers must change frequently. Like increase.
At the home page, you can type a word (or phrase) you want defined in the search box. For instance, I typed in
cream.
The search takes me to a quick definition list plus a list of all the indexed dictionaries where the word is found--33 general dictionaries, 5 art dictionaries, 2 business dictionaries, 1 computing dictionary, 6 miscellaneous dictionaries, 2 slang dictionaries, 1 sports dictionary (although that takes me to a list of cat terms), and 2 tech dictionaries.
I can find a bazillion phrases that include the word
cream (like astronaut ice cream, barrier cream, cream-banded swallowtail, you're the cream in my coffee) that also have links.
I can also find a list of words similar to
cream (like churn, whop, whip, lambaste), each with a quick definition and matching dictionary links.
That's the basic stuff. But you can get fancy and go on all kinds of advanced searches using wild cards, reverse dictionaries, translations, and stuff I haven't figured out yet.
Some say it's a great way to cheat at crossword puzzles.
I've found it to be a great writing prompt site.
I go there several times a day.
Go explore. Set a timer or you'll hang out there way too long.
Enjoy!
What's your favorite dictionary site?
Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King
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