Dictionary.com: A Must-Have Reference for Everyone!

Free!

Dictionary.com is a classic dictionary in an online format. After launching the website, users can type a word in the search box at the top of the screen and click the “Magnifying Glass” icon. The website will then provide the definition of the word, its origin, related words, examples of the words in use, a pronunciation of the word, and tools for citing, sharing, and saving the word. This website also contains a thesaurus option that can be accessed by clicking it at the top of the page.

When a word is entered in the “Thesaurus” section, the website offers synonyms for the word, which can be sorted by relevance, complexity, and length using the scales. Users can then scroll down and access additional word lists related to the word they searched.

In addition to the dictionary and thesaurus options, users can scroll down the website’s homepage to access articles about language trends, issues, and topics.

Instructional Ideas for Dictionary.com

1. When learning a new word or coming across a word they do not know, teachers can direct students to this website to access its definition.
2. When analyzing writing using tool such as Slick Write, students can use the thesaurus section of this website to find alternatives that can replace redundant words.
3. As an opening activity, teachers can have students read an article about language from the website’s homepage and summarize it. Next, teachers can facilitate a conversation by asking: (1) What makes this article relevant to you?, (2) Have you experienced or heard the language the article references?, and (3) If you were going to recommend this article to someone to read, who would it be and what made you recommend it to that person?
4. Teachers can have students read the definition of a word in this website and then conduct a Google Search for the same definition. Next, teachers can have students compare the two definitions and determine which is of higher quality and why.
5. For students who need to hear a word spoken in order for them to process it, they can search the word and then click the “Horn” button to hear it.

Screenshots of Dictionary.com

dictionary.com