XYZZY's 10C Dictionary Interface

This page will send a query to the WWWebster Dictionary®, an online English dictionary based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition (10C).

If more than one field is filled in, the search will return only words that meet all the criteria. Use the "Clear" button to clear all fields and reset the form options to their default values.

  
 
Main Entry:       info
Pronunciation:   
Function Label:  [adjective, noun, verb, ...] info
Usage:           [archaic, dialect, slang, ...] info
Etymology:       [older word or root; e.g. phil] info
Date First Use:  [4-digit year after 1500] info
Look For:        in 

Look Up Definition: Enter word in Main Entry field, select "Entry Word" option, and press "Search."

Wildcards: In the Main Entry field, use ? for a single unknown character and * for many unknowns. The ? wildcard is great for crossword puzzle constructors or solvers. For example, try p?lo? or c?????nna?. The * wildcard helps you do something that is virtually impossible with printed dictionaries: look for all the words that end in a certain way or that contain a certain string of letters. For example, try *itor or *ii*. Bracketed ranges or collections of letters also work: [b-d]oo[r-t] yields boor, boos, boot, coos, coot, and door while tr[aeiou]p yields trap, trip, and trop.

Anagrams: Enter letters in Main Entry field, select "Jumble" option, and press "Search." This is a way to get bonus-point words in Scrabble by cheating.

Cryptogram Solver: Enter letter pattern (such as abcdcba) in Main Entry field, select "Cryptogram" option, and press "Search." The words returned will all have the same pattern. In this example, the results include deified, reviver, and rotator. Try Main Entry: mishmash.

Letter Bank: Enter some letters in Main Entry field, select "Letter Bank" option, and press "Search." The words returned will all include only the letters submitted.

Rhymes: Enter word in Pronunciation field, select "Rhyme" option, and press "Search." You can restrict the results to words beginning with a certain letter. Example: Try Main Entry: b* and Pronunciation: share.

Homophones: Enter word in Pronunciation field, select "Homophone" option, and press "Search." The results sound the same but are spelled differently. Example: Try Pronunciation: not.

Phonetic Jumble: Enter word in Pronunciation field, select "Phonetic Jumble" option, and press "Search." Example: Pronunciation: saucy yields seesaw.

Date First Use: Enter a four-digit number in the Date First Use field to find words first printed in that year. Example: Try Main Entry: a* and Date First Use: 1981 to find words beginning with A that first appeared in 1981, including adjustable rate mortgage, air ball, and automated teller machine.

Words in Definitions: To find what definitions include a given word or words, enter the word(s) in the Look For: field, select "Defining Text" option, and press "Search." This is a non-thesaurus way of finding words related to a given word. Example: Try Look For: frog toad.

Authors Quoted: Enter name in Look For field, select "Authors Quoted" option, and press "Search." Any word that uses a quotation by that author in its definition will appear. Example: Try Look For: woolf.

Words in Quotations: To find what quotations used as verbal illustrations contain a given word, enter the word in the Look For: field, select "Verbal Illustration" option, and press "Search." You can do similar searches for words in the synonymy paragraphs and the usage paragraphs by selecting those options.

The WWWebster Dictionary® is based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. You can buy the print edition by visiting the Merriam-Webster® online bookstore.

WWWEBSTER DICTIONARY, MERRIAM-WEBSTER, COLLEGIATE, and MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY are trademarks of Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

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