dictionary

IPA/ˈdɪkʃənri/
KK[dˈɪkʃənˌɛri]IPA/ˈdɪkʃəneri/

dictionary — 名詞

  • dictionarysingular
  • dictionariesplural

1. A printed or digital book that lists a language's vocabulary in A-to-Z order, wi

1.名詞A2
釋義

字典；辭典

按字母序排列的單詞參考書

A printed or digital book that lists a language's vocabulary in A-to-Z order, with each entry showing the word's meaning, pronunciation, or equivalent in another language.

例句

Karim looked up the meaning of 'ambiguous' in his English dictionary.

Karim 在他那本英文字典裡查了 ambiguous 這個詞的意思。

look up + word + in + dictionary

The teacher asked the class to find five dictionary words and use them in sentences.

老師要全班在字典裡找出五個單字，並用它們造句。

常見搭配
  • consult a dictionary
  • look up a word in the dictionary
  • dictionary definition
  • dictionary entry
  • online dictionary
同義詞
  • lexicon

    more formal; often refers to the vocabulary of a language rather than a physical book

  • wordbook

    less common; sometimes used for specialised vocabulary lists or children's books

  • glossary

    narrower in scope — only lists terms from one text, subject, or lesson

用法筆記

Frequently used with verbs like 'look up', 'check', or 'consult' to describe searching for a word. Also appears in the figurative phrase 'a walking dictionary' for a person with an unusually large vocabulary.

常見錯誤

The dictionary at the end of the chapter listed key biology terms.
The glossary at the end of the chapter listed key biology terms.
A glossary only covers words in one book; a dictionary covers a whole language or subject field.

2. A reference book that lists and explains the main terms and ideas belonging to a

2.名詞B1
釋義

專業辭典

特定領域的詞彙參考書

A reference book that lists and explains the main terms and ideas belonging to a specific field of study, job, or hobby.

例句

The medical dictionary explains terms like 'hypertension' in simple language.

這本醫學辭典用淺顯的文字解釋了像 hypertension 這樣的專業術語。

dictionary of + subject area

Hao bought a dictionary of architecture before starting his design course at university.

Hao 在開始大學的設計課程之前，買了一本建築辭典。

常見搭配
  • dictionary of medicine
  • a legal dictionary
  • dictionary of architecture
  • specialised dictionary
同義詞
  • encyclopedia

    broader — covers concepts and history in depth, not just word meanings

  • reference work

    broader category that includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks

  • thesaurus

    different purpose — groups words by similarity of meaning rather than defining them

文法句型

dictionary of [subject]

用法筆記

The subject area is typically introduced with 'of' (e.g., dictionary of medicine) or 'for' (e.g., dictionary for engineers). Common in academic and professional publishing.

常見錯誤

I used a dictionary of chemistry to find the definition of 'atom'.' (okay)
I used a chemistry dictionary to find the definition of 'atom'.
Both forms are correct, but the compound form 'chemistry dictionary' is more natural in everyday speech.

3. A stored collection of words in digital format that a computer, smartphone, or s

3.名詞B2
釋義

電子詞庫

軟體內儲存的單詞列表

A stored collection of words in digital format that a computer, smartphone, or software program uses to check spelling, suggest text while typing, or process natural language.

例句

My phone's dictionary added the word 'vlog' after I saved it three times.

我的手機詞庫在我儲存了三次之後，就把 vlog 這個詞加入了。

phone's dictionary — possessive collocation

The spellchecker flagged my surname as an error because it was not in its dictionary.

拼寫檢查程式把我的姓氏標記為錯誤，因為它的詞庫裡沒有這個詞。

not in its dictionary — software context

常見搭配
  • add to the dictionary
  • custom dictionary
  • spellchecker dictionary
  • personal dictionary
  • user dictionary
同義詞
  • word list

    simpler and less formal; may lack the structure of a full dictionary

  • lexicon

    used in natural language processing and AI to refer to a machine-readable vocabulary set

  • vocabulary

    the set of words a person or system knows; not a stored file

用法筆記

Refers to the stored word list within software, not a standalone reference product. Common in passive constructions ('the word was added to the dictionary') in technical writing. Also called a 'word list' or 'lexicon' in computing contexts.

常見錯誤

I updated the dictionary on my phone to learn new words.
I updated the personal dictionary on my phone to add new terms.
Software dictionaries cannot teach meanings; they only store word forms. For learning, use a 'learner's dictionary' app.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

  • dictionary entry
  • dictionary definition
  • dictionary app
  • dictionary database
  • dictionary file

常用片語

  • look something up in a dictionary
  • check a dictionary
  • consult a dictionary
  • add something to a dictionary

介系詞搭配

  • in a dictionary
  • from a dictionary
  • out of a dictionary