Dictionary (noun): a reference book that contains words listed in alphabetical order and that gives information about the words’ meanings, forms, pronunciations, etc.
For budding readers and experienced learners, dictionaries are a fantastic source to reference when exposed to a new vocabulary word. No matter your student’s reading level, dictionaries are full of fantastic words for children to discover and use in their reading, writing, and a variety of academic pursuits. In honor of Dictionary Day on October 16, we have compiled a list of fun dictionary facts to share with the word fanatics in your family.
The word computer has had three different meanings since its origin in 1613. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it originally referred to a person, then a machine in 1869, and finally an electronic device in 1946.
The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary took 70 years to complete and contained 15,490 pages across 10 volumes.
E is the most commonly used letter in the English language.
In 1604, the first English dictionary was written by schoolmaster Robert Cawdrey.
There are a wide variety of dictionaries, ranging from specialized to natural language processing dictionaries.
The oldest known dictionary dates back to 2300 BCE in Ebla, or modern Syria.
Noah Webster wrote the first American English Dictionary in 1806. Dictionary Day was named in honor of his birthday: October 16, 1758.
Today you can access a variety of dictionaries online, the most popular being Dictionary.com.
Dictionaries remain a constant source of word-related fun and knowledge. Encourage your child(ren) to try to find a new word every day to expand their vocabulary and look up words which challenge them. The power of words is infinite!
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