Why is the word "dictionary" in the Dictionary?

Question

Yeah its a word but the dictionary is for lookin up words to see what thy mean but if you didn't know what dictionary meant why look it up in the dictionary...?

Answer 1

some reasons:

1) dictionaries typically include OTHER information besides a simple definition, such as the spelling, pronunciation and history (origin) of words, useful synonyms, how to form the plural. Not all who use the book will know all these things about the word

2) even when we 'know' what a word means enough to use it, carefully written definitions in dictionaries (including of the word "dictionary"!) can make it clearer,

(And note that knowing how to make some use of the book does not prove you fully understand what the book is and does. Actually, following your argument, there's no point in listing "alphabet" either, since one has to know the alphabet to be able to look up the words, etc)

3) there is more than one meaning for "dictionary", and the person using one type might not know this

Just read the entries at this link, and you'll see all of these points mentioned and illustrated.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dictionary

Answer 2

Because a dictionary is a book of explanations and descriptions as well as spellings. It's description in my Chambers Dictionary is:-

a book containing the words of a language alphabetically arranged with their meanings, etymology etc., a lexicon, an additional program that will check text for spelling errors against a dictionary, a dictionary contained on a disk ( computer ), a work containing information on any area of knowledge alphabetically arranged.

Answer 3

Yeah, why? You'd think by now that everyone knows how to spell dictionary. As to it's true meaning, we did not even have the word, or so I believe, until Samuel Johnson came out with the first ever English Dictionary [what I wrote] back in the 18th Century.

Yeah, I blame Sam, he's the one what dunnit!

Answer 4

There are two answers to your good question.
For instance, if a definition tells you what you need to know about anything, then why is the word
"definition" in the dictionary?
And, as you asked, why is the word dictionary in there?

The answers: there are two sorts of dictionary, not one.

A lexicon tells you according to categorizing science what you need to know about the reality referent, the prioritized internal 5-6 workings of things, that give you the science of what natural and man-made things are,
The use dictionary tells you how people are using and misusing words, being 'descriptive" only.

Both sorts of dictionary have uses. But only one is scientifically useful. In your example, for instance, a "definition" would be "whatever the makers of a dictionary put into a dictionary about anything"; that's not helpful, it's a circle.
And a "dictionary" would be: "this book", also circular.

So only in a prescriptive or objective scientist-drawn dictionary would the two terms by vital, in fact the center of the whole operation being done.
"Definition" would be the categorizing internal-essentials stated in order of priority as governing the normative case of anything that a human knower needs to comprehend in order to deal with anything".
And "dictionary" would be: "The contexted sum of human knowledge about all things stated in categorizing definitions of a logical (non-contradictory) nature s is known at present".

Then this leaves a descriptive linguistics work as "The way in which people are presently using words at this date trying to deal with reality without necessarily referring to the scientific method (contexted categorizing definitions).

Sorry; but it's schizophrenic; it's either science or not that one is dealing with.

Answer 5

suppose they have to put most words in the dictionary but maybe they should have it on the cover saying 'Dictionary' then the mean etc.

Answer 6

Because its a word and there are words in the dictionary in case you hadn't noticed LOL!

Answer 7

Just in case you have someone say "hm, what IS a dictionary anyway?... Let's look it up in the dictionary!"

Answer 8

bcos the dictionary has all words ... so dictionary has 2 b in their .... even if its unlikely 2 b used

Answer 9

Most dictionaries don't contain the word "gullible".

Answer 10

Why is the letter "a" the only letter in the alphabet that can stand alone as A word in part of A sentence?

There are just some baffeling things on earth.