Do you use a dictionary?

[Guest ii]

I was reading some school work, and when looking up a word in the dictionary started thinking (I know, scary! Call 911!) Do you all use a dictionary to check up words while reading, or do you just guess the meaning by what else is there?

 

Me, I used to use the bilingual dictionaries as a kid, but switched to "normal" dictionaries before high school. And to this day, I'd say my most used book is my Petit Robert, or my Webster's Dictionary.

[Adam]

I think they are a great idea and I used to have a really good one. I never use it though. It takes too long to go through and find the word. I just guess the meaning of the word.

 

If you look up lazy in the dictionary you'll see my picture

[Echo]

If it's something that is really bothering me, I'll look it up, but otherwise I try to guess the meaning of the word from its context.

[angerball]

I use a dictionary if I have one nearby. Otherwise, I just try to guess the word, unless it's really bugging me. The problem I have is that I can never remember the meaning (or the word)! I'll remember it for a very short while, but after that it's gone! I even started a list (nerdy, I know) of all words that I looked up, and I had every intention of going over the list each day...but somehow I just forgot about it.

[Icecream]

Yes I do, and to get to my dictionary at the moment I have to pull out a bed (which is on its side), move a huge wardrobe to get into the shelves and then pull out a huge volume (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary in two volumes). Sometimes I think I will go and look later when I have finished reading, but then I have things to do or I forget. I like to know what I am reading about. I have dictionaries out all the time.

[JudyB]

I love dictionaries and a few years ago treated myself to a huge tome - it includes word origins which I'm always interested in.

[Karen1]

I tend to guess the meaning of the words too, but there has been the odd word that I've just had to look up.

[proserpina]

If it's fairly clear what the word means given the context, then I don't use a dictionary. Though sometimes I have been caught out and the word has more connotations than I have considered. I tend to jot down the words I don't know and add them to my reading journal, which means I can learn some new vocab too.

[Kell]

Dictionaries are fantastic! When I was at college, I used to open my dictionary every morning at a random page and choose a word. I would then try to use that word at some point during the day.

 

I really sould take that up again - it was a lot of fun!

 

Whenever I come across I word I don't know, I reach straight for the dictionary - or nip over to Dictionary.com - to look it up.

[Icecream]

I use that site too Kell! Comes in very handy as a spellchecker to at times.

[Echo]

I use the Merriam-Webster site when I'm writing my papers. I usually use it for its thesaurus, which is SO helpful.

[Kylie]

I love dictionaries and thesauri. I bought a beautiful big one when I was doing a proofreading and editing course a couple of years ago. If I'm reading at home I'll look a word up, especially if it's one of those words you start seeing/hearing all over the place all of a sudden and it gets really irritating that you don't know what it means.

 

I always have a dictionary/thesaurus widget on my Mac at work which gets used quite a lot. In fact, I used it just then to look up the plural of 'thesaurus'. Ah, I love the English language - so many different words for different things.

[Purple Poppy]

I am a dictionary freak. Dictionaries and thesauri are my favourite books. I have about three or four online and the same in books, plus french and german too.

Unfortunately, for all my enthusiasm, my memory lets me down, and like someone else said, I read it and remember it for all of ten minutes, sometimes less, and then it's gone!

Shame, if my memory was better I might be a genius!

Pp

[pontalba]

I must have at least a dozen dictionaries, and love and use them constantly. Mostly for spelling though, I am an atrocious speller. But with certain authors they are a necessity.

[Roland Butter]

Dictionaries are fantastic! When I was at college, I used to open my dictionary every morning at a random page and choose a word. I would then try to use that word at some point during the day.

 

I tried that, Kell, but from the front of the dictionary. Didn't get past "aardvark"

 

I love dictionaries, too. I persuaded my wife to get me the Oxford English Dictionary last Christmas (pocket version - the one that only takes up two shelves!) and I'm forever dipping into it. Even if I know the word, I like to know a bit about its origins.

 

I use a dictionary at work quite a bit, too. Part of my job involves correcting the letters civil servants draft for the Minister to sign, and although I have absolute confidence in my own linguistic superiority over civil servants (I have a reputation as a "grammar Nazi"!), it doesn't do any harm to get a bit of back-up. Only yesterday, someone came up with "... on Mr and Mrs W's behalves ..." and it made a pleasant diversion doing a bit of research on that.

 

Actually, we could have a whole new thread about the linguistic horrors that officials inflict upon the public, couldn't we?

[Purple Poppy]

Roland said;

Actually, we could have a whole new thread about the lingusitic horrors that officials inflict upon the public, couldn't we?

Sounds good to me Roland!

I also have a two-shelf dictionary, a Collins, which was a present Christmas.Very precious, though will need updating now, as it's about ten years old!

[~Andrea~]

Yes I do. I have a mini dictionary by the bed where I do most of my reading and a larger one in the study where I do most of my writing. If the dictionary isn't to hand or the word isn't in the little dictionary then I try to make a mental note or write it down to look up in the big dictionary later (I probably remember about 50% of the time.)

 

I love learning new words. I often forget them though. I think I need to stumble across a new word several times (and look it up several times) before it stays in my brain.

[Roland Butter]

I love learning new words. I often forget them though. I think I need to stumble across a new word several times (and look it up several times) before it stays in my brain.

 

There's a word for that, but I can't remember what it is.

[Adam]

or nip over to Dictionary.com - to look it up.

 

That is a great site Kell!

[Angel]

I very rarely use a dictionary - if I don't know a word I try to work it out in context

[Louiseog]

I very rarely use a dictionary - if I don't know a word I try to work it out in context

ditto

[Guest fireball]

Ever since I've had my second stoke, some years ago now, one thing that buggered me up was my spelling, never used to but now,.. I have a thing called ieSpell which you can use either English (UK, that is spelling) or you can use US spelling, the only draw back, it's slight but I've acclimatised, as opposed to got used to it,! is you, or at least I do, go back over what I've written with the 'arrows' top, l/r and down because once you've changed the spelling I found that if I didn't you might just loose what you've just written, I do it automatically, though I've not got used to it. Sometimes it's a pain, but needs must.! It's on on my top toolbar I just bring my cursor up to ieSpell and click.

[Liz]

I use dictionaries to look up words I come across whilst reading. I have several dictionaries spread throughout the house, so there is always one nearby.

[happyanddandy]

We have dictionaries in the house and they are well thumbed. My OH is a great one for looking up words.

I do tend to try and work out the meanings of words first - I did Latin at school and that has been very useful over the years for working out the roots. Bring back Latin I say!!

[supergran71]

I look up words I come across in books, or if I hear a word on radio or tv that I dont know the meaning of. I have found this very useful. Here is a little anecdote for you. When my youngest was about 7, one day her teacher asked me how she had acquired such a large vocabulary so young. My answer was that she was always asking me what words meant and I usually managed to explain them. So remember to answer your kids when they keep asking the meaning of words. An enquiring mind is good!!