Dictionary (software)

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Dictionary
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Stable release
Operating systemMac OS X
Typedictionary
Websitehttp://www.apple.com

The Dictionary application, developed by Apple for its Macintosh computers, was introduced with Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger". It provides definitions and synonyms from the New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Edition and Oxford American Writers Thesaurus, 1st Edition.

History

File:OPENSTEP Digital Webster.jpg
Digital Webster

OS X's progenitor, OPENSTEP (and NEXTSTEP) provided similar functionality, called Digital Webster, providing dictionary and thesaurus definitions from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary and Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus (termed the "First Digital Edition"). OPENSTEP Services provide lookup from all applications.

Functionality

The dictionary and thesaurus in Dictionary are in an XML format, but make use of precompiled binary index files to access the XML file directly, excluding the option of expansion of the dictionary.

The key combination ⌃ ⌘ D can be used in Cocoa applications which display text — it brings up a small contextual menu-like definition or synonym of the word under the cursor.

Apple also included a Dashboard Widget for accessing the Dictionary application. In applications which support "Services", there is an option in the application menu (for example, Safari>Services>Look up in Dictionary) which brings up the Dictionary application and displays the definition of a selected word.

The application's preferences allow a user to select from three different pronunciation schemes, either US English (Diacritical or IPA), or British English (IPA).

Errata

  • The lexicon of the English language spell checking services (which are also universally accessible in Cocoa applications) are not the same as the Dictionary's lexicon. Thus, the New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd Edition is not the basis for spell checking in Mac OS X "Tiger".
  • Double clicking on any word searches for that word in the dictionary again; you can click on almost any word except the pronunciations in phonetic characters and numerals.
  • Apple catches any queries to the dict:/// protocol, say from a web browser, and routes them back to the Dictionary application.

Mac OS X v10.5

Dictionary in Mac OS X v10.5 has some significant improvements and new features. For example, it now contains an English-Japanese-English thesaurus, provided by Shogakukan. The program also uses Wikipedia as a source.

Images

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