dictionary

Meanings

Noun

• A reference work with a list of words from one or more languages, normally ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meaning, and sometimes containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage and translations, as well as other data.
• A synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.
• Any work that has a list of material organized alphabetically; e.g., biographical dictionary, encyclopedic dictionary.
• An associative array, a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a physical dictionary.

Verb

• To look up in a dictionary.
• To add to a dictionary.
• To compile a dictionary.

Origin

• Borrowed from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, from Latin dictiōnārius, from dictiō, from dictus, perfect past participle of dīcō + -ārium.