Looking for a good dictionary for my PW

BeccaPrice · 02-14-2013, 04:56 AM

Now that I've installed the jailbreak to allow me to use multiple dictionaries on my PW, I'm looking for a better dictionary than the ones I've got. I would, of course, love the unabridged OED,but I suspect that would cost several hundred dollars to get (even if there was a version for the Kindle, which I doubt).

Can anyone suggest a good dictionary?

HarryT · 02-14-2013, 05:04 AM

Personally I find the Oxford dictionaries that come as standard with the PW to be absolutely excellent. What deficiencies have you encountered with them?

sirmaru · 02-14-2013, 03:32 PM

I use the Bible Encyclpedia which looks for words not found in the Oxford Dictionary. They work together without any jail breaks or other changes. You can get it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Encyclop...e+encyclopedia

Blossom · 02-14-2013, 04:43 PM

Not on the PW but on my other Kindles I use the ones posted here at MR. The Webster's 1913 and there was a thread with the 1911 edition in it. This is great when reading historicals.

SampleAndy · 02-14-2013, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blossom

Not on the PW but on my other Kindles I use the ones posted here at MR. The Webster's 1913 and there was a thread with the 1911 edition in it. This is great when reading historicals.

When you say historicals, would that include stuff like Dumas, Verne, Stevenson, Dickens, et al? I can usually get a pretty good guess from context, but there are always a few that leave me scratching my head.

Blossom · 02-14-2013, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SampleAndy

When you say historicals, would that include stuff like Dumas, Verne, Stevenson, Dickens, et al? I can usually get a pretty good guess from context, but there are always a few that leave me scratching my head.

No but I am sure it would help better than a modern dictionary. I meant Regency Fiction like Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Patricia Veryan or other Historical romances that I've read.

PoP · 02-14-2013, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

...
Can anyone suggest a good dictionary?

Shameless plug. You could try my free, open source, NADSAT dictionary if you ever read A Clockwork Orange from Anthony Burgess

BeccaPrice · 02-14-2013, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Personally I find the Oxford dictionaries that come as standard with the PW to be absolutely excellent. What deficiencies have you encountered with them?

I sometimes read books with obscure words (particularly those written in the 1920s or so), and so fairly frequently when I hit the dictionary I get no words found.

I've got a pretty good working vocabulary, so it's only the obscure words that I need to look up. (can't give you any examples right now, alas.)

HarryT · 02-15-2013, 12:54 AM

Have you tried using the British English dictionary rather than the US one? I've found it a lot better.

BeccaPrice · 02-15-2013, 05:21 AM

oh, now, that's a good thought. How much does the different spellings (gaol/jail) cause problems, though?

which shouldn't matter too much, since I've got the jailbreak for multiple dictionaries on my PW, come to think about it.

HarryT · 02-15-2013, 05:24 AM

I read a lot of 19th century novels, and I can't recall ever coming across a word which hasn't been in the dictionary. The British dictionary is excellent.

patrickt · 02-15-2013, 06:51 AM

Words with British and American spellings will both appear in a reputable English dictionary. With slang and nonstandard terms it's a crapshoot. I know most of the American slang and the British slang is often in the Oxford dictionary. Between England, and it's various subdivisions, and Scotland I do get slang terms that aren't in the dictionary. If I can't get the meaning from the context I go to the internet.

02-14-2013, 04:56 AM	#1
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Looking for a good dictionary for my PW Now that I've installed the jailbreak to allow me to use multiple dictionaries on my PW, I'm looking for a better dictionary than the ones I've got. I would, of course, love the unabridged OED,but I suspect that would cost several hundred dollars to get (even if there was a version for the Kindle, which I doubt). Can anyone suggest a good dictionary?

02-14-2013, 04:43 PM	#4
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	Not on the PW but on my other Kindles I use the ones posted here at MR. The Webster's 1913 and there was a thread with the 1911 edition in it. This is great when reading historicals. Last edited by Blossom; 02-14-2013 at 04:54 PM.

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02-14-2013, 05:04 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Personally I find the Oxford dictionaries that come as standard with the PW to be absolutely excellent. What deficiencies have you encountered with them?

02-14-2013, 03:32 PM	#3
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	I use the Bible Encyclpedia which looks for words not found in the Oxford Dictionary. They work together without any jail breaks or other changes. You can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Encyclop...e+encyclopedia

02-15-2013, 12:54 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Have you tried using the British English dictionary rather than the US one? I've found it a lot better.

02-15-2013, 05:21 AM	#10
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	oh, now, that's a good thought. How much does the different spellings (gaol/jail) cause problems, though? which shouldn't matter too much, since I've got the jailbreak for multiple dictionaries on my PW, come to think about it.

02-15-2013, 05:24 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I read a lot of 19th century novels, and I can't recall ever coming across a word which hasn't been in the dictionary. The British dictionary is excellent.

02-15-2013, 06:51 AM	#12
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	Words with British and American spellings will both appear in a reputable English dictionary. With slang and nonstandard terms it's a crapshoot. I know most of the American slang and the British slang is often in the Oxford dictionary. Between England, and it's various subdivisions, and Scotland I do get slang terms that aren't in the dictionary. If I can't get the meaning from the context I go to the internet.

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