Main Entry: dic·tio·nary

Pronunciation: \ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˌne-rē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural dic·tio·nar·ies

Etymology: Medieval Latin dictionarium, from Late Latin diction-, dictio word, from Latin, speaking

Date: 1526

1 : a reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactical and idiomatic uses
2 : a reference book listing alphabetically terms or names important to a particular subject or activity along with discussion of their meanings and applications
3 : a reference book giving for words of one language equivalents in another
4 : a computerized list (as of items of data or words) used for reference (as for information retrieval or word processing)