Why is the word "dictionary" in the dictionary?

Why is the word “dictionary” in the dictionary?

I have seen some really ignorant people in my time, but surely no one is so clueless that one would have to look up the definition of the word “dictionary,” in the dictionary, in order to know what a dictionary is. That’s just bizarre. Even if one weren’t sure of the spelling, * just look at the cover!*

A person looking up the word dictionary, in the dictionary is about seems as looney as calling the operator and asking what the number for 9-1-1 is.

The dictionary is used for many other reasons than the spelling of the word. For example, how do you spell “more than one dictionary”. Or, off the top of your head, what’s the Latin word dictionary is from???

How about, every common English word should be in the book?

(from dictionary.com)

dic·tion·ar·y (dksh-nr)
n. pl. dic·tion·ar·ies
A reference book containing an alphabetical list of words, with information given for each word, usually including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology.
A book listing the words of a language with translations into another language.
A book listing words or other linguistic items in a particular category or subject with specialized information about them: a medical dictionary.
Computer Science.
A list of words stored in machine-readable form for reference, as by spelling-checking software.
An electronic spelling checker.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Medieval Latin dictinrium, from Latin dicti, dictin-, diction. See diction.]

Well, here is what the American Heritage Dictionary says on the topic:

As you can see, the definition not only gives the basic definition, it gives somewhat less common ones, and the derivation (bolded by me for easy reading). So looking up ‘dictionary’ in the dictionary isn’t as strange as it may seem.

Ok, you people make some good valid points of why it is in there. Although I had previously thought of some of the reasons why it may be in there, as have been explained, it still seemed rather goofy. (and still does)

but thanks anyways

Well, I peep inside my dictionary and I observe that it is a reference book, and this reference book has many words, and these words are in an order which is alphabetical, and they have a meaning, or maybe two meanings, and they show other qualities, such as parts of speech, and how these words are pronounced, and their syllabification, whatever that is, and there are details of inflections to consider, which may be irregular, or maybe not, and sometimes a derivation is given, or an etymology, and I don’t know what else.

It seems to me that a citizen may wish to know the plural of dictionary, which is by no means dictionarys, but dictionaries, and I consider the presence of a plural with no singular is more than somewhat a wrong move, but this is just my opinion on the matter.

Furthermore, dictionary is used as a modifier, such as dictionary definition, or maybe dictionary catalogue, or dictionary this, or dictionary that, so dictionary in a dictionary is by no means superfluous, it is essential.

When I say this, I almost forget to mention my dictionary which, in the matter of verbs, has nothing but the present tense, and maybe the past historic, so all of these dictionaries are different, but I am sure many parties complain if dictionary is not in a dictionary, and who is to say this is wrong.

Well, it’s not really the dictionary-makers’ job to determine what people are likely to look up or not. They just list all the words – or all the more common words, in the case of abridged dictionaries. And of course all the reasons mentioned so far in the thread are excellent reasons, as well. (Derivation, pronunciation, inflected forms, alternate definitions, etc.)

Back in my lukin’ days I emailed this in as a question, in part hoping for some terribly witty replies at my expense.

manhattan or dex emailed me in reply to say, “What makes you think that ‘dictionary,’ a word, wouldn’t be in the dictionary?”

Well hell, that’s no fun. :smiley:

I think this question would make a good addition to the Questions we refuse to answer

For the same reason we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway.

Because if it weren’t in the dictionary, people like you would complain about it not being in the dictionary.

Why is dictionary in the dictionary?

It is the third common word ending in ‘-gry’.

It is the reason people always say ‘fnord’ to friendly pink unicorns.

It is the place the donut hole takes you.

:smiley:

Guess you have a crappy dictionary, go get yourself a Webster’s college dictionary. The long and exhaustive definition is:
dic tion ar y 1. a book containing a selection of the words of a language, usu. arranged alphabetically, with information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, etc., expressed in either tie same or another language. 2. a book giving information on particular subjects or on a particular class of words, names, or facts, usu. arranged alphabetically: a biographical dictionaryl a dictionary of physics. 3. a list of words used by a word processing program to check spelling in text [1520-30; < ML dictionarium, dictionarius < LL diction- word (see DICTION) + -arium, -arius, -ary]

I checked the definition of dictionary in my dictionary. This is what it said:

dictionary: The book your holding right now.
Maybe I shouldn’t have bought the Smartass Edition. :slight_smile:

::picks up dictionary::
“Whut th’ hell is this thing?”
::flips pages::
“Ohhh…”
:slight_smile:

I have a question for you, MagicalSilverKey. How did you know that your dictionary contains an entry for dictionary?.

What’s funny is that most dictionaries do contain an entry for the word “dictionary”, but they don’t contain an entry for the word “gullible”.

No way!

[reads thread title and says in Seinfeld voice] And what’s…the deal…with airline food?

:rolleyes:

[keeping Seinfeld voice] And why…is there no abbreviation…for “abbreviation”? I mean…

:rolleyes: again

Damn! Beat me to it!