Is there any possible way to use the dictionary and thesaurus features in Word 2000 without having to load Word 2K? Can i just add a shortcut to the desktop for those tools?
Are those tools even available in their own shells?
Not easily, AFAIK. The dictionary files are in \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PROOF, but they are DLLs and are meant to be run within an application. Theoretically, someone could write a program that was just a shell for those extensions, but that would require some work.
I believe there are on-line (as in, downloadable and run on your desktop) programs that are relatively cheap. At http://www.m-w.com/book/elecprod/spell.htm (for example), you can get one for $12.95.