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Looking up words

You can look for words in all of the sources available to you, or in a specific source.

To look up words:

  1. In Dictionary, select the source you want to search. For example, to search just the dictionary, click Dictionary.

    Note:You can open multiple Dictionary windows to search multiple words and sources. Choose File > New Window.

  2. Type a letter, word, or phrase in the search field. Dictionary searches for matching items as you type.

  3. In the list of entries found, double-click the item you want to see (or select it and press Return).

    • If you searched multiple sources, click the disclosure triangle next to each source heading to collapse or expand that section for easier viewing. You can also click a specific source in the source bar to display only results from that source.

    • If you see an unfamiliar word in a Dictionary entry, click it to view its entry.

    • Many entries contain illustrations. You can view larger versions of some illustrations by clicking them.

To specify which sources (such as a dictionary or thesaurus) to search, and the order in which they are searched, choose Dictionary > Preferences.


Related Topics

Choosing and reordering sources

Looking up words in other applications