Today is the celebration of Webster’s Dictionary and maybe all dictionaries. Without them writers and scholars would be lost in their endeavours. Of course, with the impact of online resources a physical disctionary is not as well used in today’s world.

In fact dictionary itself is defined as:

ˈdɪkʃ(ə)n(ə) noun

A book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning, or gives the equivalent words in a different language, often also providing information about pronunciation, origin, and usage. A reference book on a particular subject, the items of which are typically arranged in alphabetical order. A set of words or other text strings made for use in applications such as spellcheckers.

The importance of a dictionary is never quote so relevant than to a writer. We have a multitude of words we have gained thorough our school and higher education learning, but also through general usage throughout our lifetimes. However, when we write the source of a word to describe a specific ‘thing’ is fundamental to our art.

Many of us use online dictionaries nowadays rather than a print copy, but there is something about the tactile handling of a dictionary with its gossamer pages, that brings much more to the experience. As we know the different parts of a dictionary definition, include the entry word, guide words, pronunciation, part of speech, definition, and it’s origin, these allow us to discover a word’s meaning, its inference, its relevance. As wordsmith’s we want to discover ‘new’ words to add to our catalogue of verbiage. The intricacies of words, grammar, and style cannot be overstated as a writer. When we delve into dictionaries, we improve our ability to wield words, use grammar to our advantage, and develop our writing style.

This resource, whether physical or virtual enables us to become better writers and therefore improve our story telling proficiency.

What form of dictionary do you use?