Google Dictionary
{{short description|Online dictionary service by Google}}
{{Infobox website
| logo = Google 2015 logo.svg
| screenshot = Google search dictionary.png
| collapsible = y
| collapsetext = Screenshot
| caption = Google Dictionary service on Google Search
| url = {{URL|1=https://www.google.com/search?q=Dictionary|2=www.google.com/search?q=Dictionary}}
| commercial =
| type = Online dictionary
| registration =
| language = Multiple languages
| owner = Google
| author = Google
| revenue =
| alexa =
| name = Google Dictionary
| logocaption = Logo of Google Search
| logo_size = 200px
| content_license =
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2009|12}}
| current_status =
}}
Google Dictionary is an online dictionary service of Google that can be accessed with the "define" operator and other similar phrases{{NoteTag|Such as "meaning of [word]"; "spelling of [word]" etc. or simply "dictionary" for the English dictionary.{{cite web |title=Facts & info, dictionary, unit conversions, & more - Google Home Help |url=https://support.google.com/googlehome/answer/7029487?hl=en |website=support.google.com |access-date=29 August 2018 |language=en}}}} in Google Search.{{Cite news|url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2017/07/21/google-search-upgrades-dictionary-card-separate-search-box-autocomplete-history/|title=Google Search upgrades its dictionary card with a separate search box, autocomplete, and history|date=2017-07-21|work=Android Police|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}} It is also available in Google Translate and as a Google Chrome extension. The dictionary content is licensed from Oxford University Press's Oxford Languages.{{Cite web |title=Oxford Languages and Google - English {{!}} Oxford Languages |url=https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=languages.oup.com |language=en-GB}} It is available in different languages, such as English, Spanish and French. The service also contains pronunciation audio, Google Translate, a word origin chart, Ngram Viewer, and word games, among other features for the English-language version.{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=define+apple#duf3=0,duf3-4,d3s|title=define apple - Google Search|website=Google.com|language=en|access-date=2018-08-29}}{{Cite news |last=Dickson |first=Andrew |date=2018-02-23 |title=Inside the OED: can the world's biggest dictionary survive the internet? |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/23/oxford-english-dictionary-can-worlds-biggest-dictionary-survive-internet |access-date=2018-08-29 |issn=0261-3077 |quote=Google, which – through a deal with Oxford Dictionaries – offers thumbnail definitions, audio recordings of pronunciations, etymology, a graph of usage over time and translation facilities.}} Originally available as a standalone service, it was integrated into Google Search, with the separate service discontinued in August 2011.
Microsoft's Bing provides a similar dictionary service that also licenses dictionary data from Oxford Languages.{{cite web |title=define apple |url=https://www.bing.com/search?q=define+apple |website=bing.com |access-date=29 August 2018 |language=en}} Apple also licenses dictionary data from Oxford for its iOS and macOS products.{{cite web |title=Dictionaries available on OSX |url=https://mesu.apple.com/assets/macos/com_apple_MobileAsset_DictionaryServices_dictionaryOSX/com_apple_MobileAsset_DictionaryServices_dictionaryOSX.xml |website=mesu.apple.com |access-date=29 August 2018 |format=XML}}
History
The service originated in Google Translate, and was launched as a standalone service (google.com/dictionary) in December 2009.{{Cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/12/google-dictionary.html|title=Google quietly rolls out Dictionary [Updated]|date=2009-12-03|website=LA Times Blogs - Technology|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-02}}{{Cite web|url=http://googledictionary.freecollocation.com/|title=Google Dictionary Online|website=googledictionary.freecollocation.com|access-date=2018-08-29}} Google displayed definitions from Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary for English until August 2010,{{cite web|url=http://english-jack.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-chooses-colins-cobuild.html|title=English, Jack|author=Brett Reynolds|website=English-jack.blogspot.com|date=5 December 2009 |access-date=23 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2010/08/google-dictionary-has-new-content.html|title=Google Dictionary Has a New Content Provider|author=Alex Chitu|work=Google Operating System|date=5 August 2010 |access-date=23 November 2014}} when it switched to the Oxford American College Dictionary.{{cite web |title=Online dictionaries of English |type=Preprint |website=Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza |last=Lew|first=Robert|date=17 December 2010|hdl = 10593/742 |hdl-access=free |url=https://repozytorium.amu.edu.pl/handle/10593/742}}
After being integrated into Google Search, the dictionary was discontinued as a separate service on August 5, 2011,{{cite web |last1=Chitu |first1=Alex |title=No More Standalone Google Dictionary |url=http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-more-standalone-google-dictionary.html |website=googlesystem.blogspot.com |access-date=1 September 2018 |date=5 August 2011}} and can now be accessed with the "define" operator or by simply searching for a word. The dictionary service is also still available in Google Translate and can be accessed by selecting a single word. Google has also released the service as an extension for Chrome.{{Cite web|url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-dictionary-by-goog/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja|title=Google Dictionary (by Google)|date=July 23, 2017|website=Chrome Web Store|language=en|access-date=2018-09-03}}
{{As of|2023}}, Google licenses dictionary data from Oxford Languages for multiple languages, including British/American English, Spanish,{{Cite web |title=Oxford Languages and Google - Spanish {{!}} Oxford Languages |url=https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-es-en/ |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=languages.oup.com |language=en-GB}} and German.{{Cite web |title=Oxford Languages and Google - German {{!}} Oxford Languages |url=https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-de-en/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=languages.oup.com |language=en-GB}}
On Arabic Language Day (December 18) in 2015, Google added an Arabic-language dictionary, available globally, to the service that showed definitions, translations, and example usages of the word in a sentence.{{Cite news|url=https://arabia.googleblog.com/2015/12/blog-post_58.html|title=يوم سعيد لليوم العالمي للغة العربية!|last=Masri|first=Zain|date=December 18, 2015|work=Google Arabia Blog|access-date=2018-08-30|trans-title=Happy Arabic Language Day!|quote=Starting today you can type in the words "ما معنى" followed by the word you want to define and access Arabic dictionary OneBox results. We expanded our dictionary search feature to all global Arabic users}}
In February 2017, online news website Daily Caller accused Google of changing the definition of the word "fascism" in Google Dictionary. It was later found that the definition was exactly from an external source and was not written by Google.{{cite news |last1=Michael Edison |first1=Hayden |title=TRUMP SUPPORTERS CLAIM GOOGLE IS CALLING THEM 'FASCIST,' BUT THEY ARE WRONG |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-supporters-claim-google-thinks-they-fascist-wrong-751688 |access-date=11 January 2019 |publisher=Newsweek |date=December 18, 2017}}
Google added a Hindi dictionary from Rajpal & Sons licensed via Oxford Dictionaries which also supported transliteration and translation to the service in April 2017.
In July 2017, the dictionary was made directly available by typing "dictionary" in Google Search and additional features such as a search box, autocomplete and search history were also added.
In January 2018, a "Similar-sounding words" feature was added to the English dictionary which highlights words that sound similar such as "aesthetic" and "ascetic", "pray" and "prey", "conscientious" and "conscious" etc.{{Cite news|url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-adds-similar-sounding-words-dictionary-search-cards/233481/|title=Google Adds 'Similar Sounding Words' to Dictionary Search Cards|date=2018-01-22|work=Search Engine Journal|access-date=2018-09-02|language=en-US}} "Google Word Coach" vocabulary game was made available along with dictionary searches and as a separate game on mobile devices in February 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/02/26/google-word-coach-tests-vocabulary-knowledge-bite-sized-questions/|title=Google Word Coach tests your vocabulary knowledge in bite-sized questions|date=2018-02-26|work=Android Police|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}} In August 2018, Google Search added an English and Hindi dictionary for mobile users in India with an option to switch to the English only dictionary.{{Cite news|url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/08/28/google-search-india-starts-showing-dictionary-definitions-english-hindi/|title=Google Search in India starts showing dictionary definitions in both English and Hindi|date=2018-08-28|work=Android Police|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}}
A "learn to pronounce" option was added to the English dictionary in December 2018 which shows how a word is pronounced with its non-phonemic pronunciation respelling and audio in different accents (such as British and American) along with an option to slow the audio down, visemes for pronunciations were also added in April 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/04/02/tip-google-teaches-you-how-to-pronounce-a-word-slowly-and-in-different-accents/|title=[Update: Now with visemes] Tip: Google teaches you how to pronounce a word slowly and in different accents|date=2019-04-02|website=Android Police|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-20}}
Languages
{{Incomplete list|section|date=March 2018}}Google displays dictionaries for the following languages licensed from Oxford Dictionaries{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/licensing/google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221210901/https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/licensing/google|archive-date=December 21, 2016|title=Case study: Google|website=Oxford Dictionaries|access-date=2018-08-29}} which provides data from its own and other published dictionaries.
| class="wikitable sortable" | |
| Language
!Dictionary !Publisher !Notes !Example search{{notetag|Google Search settings may need to be changed for some dictionaries to appear. Such as country change to a North American country for the American English dictionary or language change for French and Spanish dictionaries.}} !{{Abbr|Refs.|References}} | |
|---|---|
| Arabic
| | |Available worldwide Search operator: "ما معنى" |[https://www.google.com/search?q=ما+معنى+أيان&hl=ar ما معنى أيان] | |
| Chinese (Simplified)
|现代汉语规范词典 [Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian] (The Standard Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese) |Oxford University Press Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+船&hl=zh define 船] |{{efn|Compare with the Chinese language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "现代汉语规范词典 / The Standard Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese. Copyright © 2010, 2013 Oxford University Press and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Publishing, Co., Ltd."}} | |
| English (UK)
Oxford Thesaurus of English |Shown worldwide (except North America) |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+apple&hl=en&gl=gb define apple] {{efn|Compare with the British English dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Oxford Dictionary of English. Copyright © 2010, 2016 by Oxford University Press."}} | |
| English (US)
|New Oxford American Dictionary Oxford Thesaurus of English Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus |Oxford University Press, Inc. |Shown in North America |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+apple&hl=en&gl=us define apple] {{Cite web|url=https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/content-help|title=Oxford Dictionaries content help - Oxford Dictionaries|date=2016-08-27|website=oxforddictionaries.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827055416/https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/content-help|archive-date=August 27, 2016|access-date=2018-08-29}}{{efn|Compare with the American English dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "New Oxford American Dictionary. Copyright © 2010, 2016 by Oxford University Press, Inc."}} | |
| English-Indic (Hindi/Marathi/Tamil) |Oxford Wordpower Dictionary |Oxford University Press |Shown in India (only on mobile devices) |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+apple&hl=en#dobc=en-hi define apple] {{efn|Compare Google definition for "apple" to Oxford Wordpower: "a hard, round fruit with a smooth green, red or yellow skin | |
| French
Google Translate: Multidictionnaire de la langue française{{Efn|Compare Google definition for "[https://translate.google.com/#fr/en/dictionnaire dictionnaire]" to Multi: "Recueil des mots d'une ou de plusieurs langues et des informations s'y rapportant, présentés selon un certain ordre (alphabétique, thématique, systématique, etc.)."{{cite web |title=Pratique iOS 7: Utiliser le dictionnaire en français et plus encore sur iPhone et iPad |url=http://www.iphon.fr/post/dictionnaire-iphone-ios-7-en-francais |website=iphon.fr |access-date=2 September 2018 |language=fr}}}}{{Efn|Compare with the French language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Multidictionnaire de la langue française. Copyright © 2012, 2014 Les Éditions Québec Amérique Inc., under licence to Oxford University Press."|name=googtrans}} Google Translate: Les Éditions Québec Amérique Inc.{{Efn|name=googtrans}} |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+légende&hl=fr define légende] |{{efn|Compare Google definition for "légende" to Petit Robert: "Récit populaire traditionnel, plus ou moins fabuleux"{{cite web |title=Grèce: Les secrets du passé- La mythologie |url=https://www.museedelhistoire.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/greece/gr1170f.shtml |website=museedelhistoire.ca |access-date=2018-08-29 |archive-date=2018-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830010724/https://www.museedelhistoire.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/greece/gr1170f.shtml |url-status=dead }}}} | |
| German
|Bibliographisches Institut GmbH |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+Kraus&hl=de define Kraus] |{{efn|Compare Google definition for "kraus" to Duden: "(von kürzerem Haar) sehr stark, in widerspenstig-spröder Weise gelockt, geringelt"{{cite web |title=Duden {{!}} kraus {{!}} Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition, Synonyme, Herkunft |url=https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/kraus |website=duden.de |publisher=Bibliographisches Institut GmbH |access-date=30 August 2018 |language=de}}}} {{efn|Compare with the German language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Wörterbuchsubstanz aus: Duden - Wissensnetz deutsche Sprache. Copyright © 2011, 2013 Bibliographisches Institut GmbH, under licence to Oxford University Press."}} | |
| Hindi
|राजपाल हिन्दी शब्दकोश [Rajpal Hindi Shabdkosh] (Rajpal Hindi Dictionary) |Available worldwide Supports transliteration Search operator: "का अर्थ" |[https://www.google.com/search?q=शब्द+का+अर्थ&hl=hi शब्द का अर्थ] |{{Cite news|url=https://india.googleblog.com/2017/04/bringing-down-language-barriers-making.html|title=Bringing down the language barriers - making the internet more inclusive|date=April 25, 2017|work=Official Google India Blog|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://hi.oxforddictionaries.com/OGL-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709122131/https://hi.oxforddictionaries.com/OGL-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82|archive-date=July 9, 2019|title=Oxford Global Languages - के बारे में|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} हिंदी|access-date=2018-08-29}} {{efn|Compare with the Hindi language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "राजपाल हिन्दी शब्दकोश / Rajpal Hindi Dictionary. Copyright © 2011 Rajpal & Sons, under licence to Oxford University Press."}} | |
| Italian
|Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+attrezzo&hl=it define attrezzo] |{{efn|Compare Google definition for "attrezzo" to Devoto–Oli: "Ciascuno degli utensili o strumenti occorrenti a una determinata attività"{{cite web |title=attrezzo - Dizionario italiano |url=http://www.wordreference.com/definizione/attrezzo |website=WordReference.com |access-date=30 August 2018 |language=it |date=2012}}}} {{efn|Compare with the Italian language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Un dizionario italiano da un affiliato di Oxford University Press. Copyright © 2005, 2013 Mondadori Education S.p.A., under licence to Oxford University Press. ... | |
| Japanese
| | |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+%E3%81%93%E3%82%93%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A1%E3%81%AF&hl=ja define こんにちは] | | |
| Korean
|뉴에이스 국어사전 [Nyueiseu Gug-eosajeon] New Ace Korean Language Dictionary |DIOTEK |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4&hl=ko define 한국어] |{{Efn|Compare with the Korean language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): 뉴에이스 국어사전 / New Ace Korean Language Dictionary. Copyright © 2012 DIOTEK, under licence to Oxford University Press.}} | |
| Portuguese (Brazil)
|Houaiss Dictionary of the Portuguese Language |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+alho&hl=pt define alho] |{{efn|Compare Google definition for "alho" to Houaiss Dictionary: "erva de até 60 cm (Allium sativum), com folhas lineares, flores brancas ou avermelhadas e cápsulas loculicidas"{{cite web |title=Matizes Escondidos - UOL Blog |url=http://matizes.escondidos.zip.net/arch2008-07-06_2008-07-12.html#2008_07-06_09_35_14-8357085-0 |website=matizes.escondidos.zip.net |access-date=30 August 2018 |date=July 6, 2008}}}} {{efn|Compare with the Portuguese language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): Dicionário de Português licenciado para Oxford University Press. Copyright © 2012 Editora Objetiva, under licence to Oxford University Press.}} | |
| Russian
|Dictionary of the Russian Language (Ozhegov) |"Universe and Education" Publishing House Ltd. |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+ресторан&hl=ru define ресторан] | {{efn|Compare Google definition for "ресторан" to Explanatory Dictionary: "Род столовой (во 2 знач.) где подают кушанья, закуски, напитки, ви́на."{{cite web |title=Детские перлы, которые заставили родителей замешкаться [comment the blog] |url=https://umoritelno.com/1217401188569057401/detskie-perly-kotorye-zastavili-roditelej-zameshkatsya/?comment=1374475681139002826&single |website=umoritelno.com |access-date=30 August 2018 |language=ru-RU |date=March 12, 2018 |archive-date=30 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830110534/https://umoritelno.com/1217401188569057401/detskie-perly-kotorye-zastavili-roditelej-zameshkatsya/?comment=1374475681139002826&single |url-status=dead }}}}
{{efn|Compare with the Russian language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "С. И. Ожегов «Толковый словарь русского языка» / S.I. Ojegov: Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language. Copyright © 2012 "Universe and Education" Publishing House Ltd., under licence to Oxford University Press."}} |
| Spanish
|Diccionario General de la Lengua Española Vox |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+trastienda&hl=es define trastienda] |{{efn|Compare with the Spanish language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Diccionario General de la Lengua Española Vox. Copyright © 2012, 2013 Larousse Editorial, S.L., under licence to Oxford University Press."}} | |
| Thai
|พจนานุกรมไทย ฉบับทันสมัยและสมบูรณ์ [Phcnanukrm Thiy Chbab Thansmay Laea Smburn] (Complete Thai Dictionary) |SE-Education Public Company Limited |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+%E0%B8%94&hl=th define ด] |{{Efn|Compare with the Thai language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): พจนานุกรมไทย ฉบับทันสมัยและสมบูรณ์ / Complete Thai Dictionary. Copyright © 2009 Se-Education PLC, under licence to Oxford University Press.}} | |
| Turkish
|Arkadaş Türkçe Sözlük |Arkadaş Publishing Ltd |Available worldwide |[https://www.google.com/search?q=define+iltifat&hl=tr define iltifat] |{{efn|Compare with the Turkish language dictionary included in Apple's OS' (which licenses dictionaries from Oxford as well): "Arkadaş Türkçe Sözlük. Copyright © 2012 Arkadaş Publishing LTD, under licence to Oxford University Press."}} |
See details for Oxford Dictionaries datasets licensing for other languages here.{{cite web |title=Licensing |url=https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/licensing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219191221/https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/licensing |archive-date=December 19, 2016 |website=Oxford Dictionaries |access-date=29 August 2018}}
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
- [https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja Google Dictionary Extension for Google Chrome]
- [http://google-dictionary.so8848.com/ Google Dictionary Online] — Provides a service via its JSON API
- {{cite web |title=Is Google Dictionary a valid definition reference (in particular in answers)? |url=https://english.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/7052/is-google-dictionary-a-valid-definition-reference-in-particular-in-answers |website=English Language & Usage Meta Stack Exchange |publisher=Stack Exchange Inc. |date=August 11, 2015}} - Discussion about Google Dictionary and its sources on Stackexchange
{{Google LLC}}