Forms of Rhetoric: Print vs. Online Dictionaries

I covet dictionaries of all shapes and sizes. My Canadian Oxford English Dictionary is one of my most prized possessions. When I’m playing Scrabble and myself or my opponent constructs a word which I know of but do not know the exact definition for, I gleefully turn to the O.E.D. to learn the definition.

When my beloved O.E.D. is not available, I readily turn to an online dictionary (my go-to is Dictionary.com). It may not be as nice in terms of being able to hold it in my hands and flip the pages, but online dictionaries have their own benefits, too. Let’s take a look at the values of these two types of resources:

Print Dictionaries

1. The hardcover versions – such as my Canadian Oxford English Dictionary – are absolutely gorgeous. They could be the centrepiece of a room. This kind of dictionary can serve as a coffee table book; it is as much an art piece as it is a functional material.

2. It includes extra references at the Index in the back of the book for good measure, such as a Style Guide and a brief History of the English Language. It is also arranged in a very organized fashion (alphabetical, of course), with little tabs along the side to show where the next letter begins.

3. When you’re flipping through it, your eye is liable to be caught by a word that you might never have noticed before. This has the advantage of springing new words on you without you expecting it. Really fun words, like “meretricious” and “merganser”! It’s a pleasure to come across words without warning.

Online Dictionaries

1. If you are without a dictionary – or if a dictionary is in another room and you’re too lazy to leave your computer to run and get it – an online dictionary can find the word for you in a snap! It’s right here at your fingertips. All you have to do is open a new browser window or tab and type in the word in the search bar.

2. When you inevitably misspell a word in the search bar, the online dictionary will come up with several suggested terms for the word that you might have intended to spell. This is a great feature, because it can be frustrating to open up a print dictionary and try to find a word when you aren’t sure of a couple key letters at the beginning of the word. You’ll be drowning in the dictionary for ages as you try to sludge through and find the word you want.

3. It has nifty additions such as a brief historical origin of the word you’re looking up, in addition to options such as a thesaurus. It also provides random words of the day, Word Picks, and a translator feature.

So which is the best choice?

As far as I am concerned, print and online dictionaries each have their own positive and negative points. Nothing would ever induce me to get rid of my hardcover copy, but I also love the convenience of an online dictionary for those times when I want to know the definition of a word now. Moral of the story: a person can never have too many dictionaries at their disposal.