When Google Fails: definitions 0
As courses start again for another year, one struggle is learning the target vocabulary to ask the right questions in them. If you’re on the Net, you may find Google’s define operator useful. Just type “define:”—without quotes but with the colon—in your search bar and put the word you want to define after the colon. It is a handy way to find definitions on the net. If Google fails, try OneLook. If the word is out there, it will find it.
For stand-alone dictionaries, Windows users might like WordWeb or iFinger’s Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. WordWeb (free) lets you look up a word in any program by holding down the Control key and right-clicking on it. It lets you select Canadian English if you prefer and provides synonyms in the pop-up window. iFinger’s Merriam-Webster’s dictionary (also free) lets you double-click on any word and a definition opens at the top of any open window. While the definitions can’t compare to WordWeb, it does allow you to type in a word on the fly.
Mac users with OS X can access the built-in Oxford dictionary by highlighting a word and right clicking on it. The trouble is you have to highlight the word. Some Macs let you hover the cursor over a word and type Command-Control-D but this isn’t featured on my Mac.
Remember, when Google doesn’t work, most people don’t have a Plan B. Librarians have lots of Plan B’s. They know when to go to a book, when to call someone, even when to go to Google. Just ask.