The Dictionary: What's in it for You?

Surely, you turn to that big book of words and definitions when you have questions about spelling, pluralization, or meaning -or maybe just when you want to know if "zuz" is a legitimate word to form with your Scrabble tiles (it is; placed the right way, it can also earn you tons of points!).

But what else does the dictionary hold for you? It will depend, of course, on which make and model you own, as well as how recent it is. A reputable, recent dictionary may offer any or all of the following useful tidbits:

• Periodic table of the elements

  
  

• Planets of the solar system: May also include planetary satellites, as well as info on the planets' mass, rotational period, average surface temperature, and distance from the sun

  
  

• Books of the Bible: May also include breakdown of Old and New Testament books, books included in the Torah, and names and the prophets

  
  

• Symbols and signs: Diacritic marks, mathmatical symbols, pharmacological symbols (to help you read that prescription!), scientific symbols, and astrological symbols, to name a few!

  
  

• Color: Great visuals! The color wheel, and charts showing the visible spectrum, and the additive and subtractive primaries.

  
  

• Proofreader's marks: Ways of indicating "transpose," "insert comma," "delete," "align," italicize," and more

  
  

• Taxonomy of life: Kingdom, phyllum, class, order, family, genus, and species!

  
  

• Measurements: Usually a large section. May contain conversions between metric and US units, equivalencies within those units (e.g., one mile equals 6,076 feet), and units of the International System.

  
  

• Indo-European roots: Roots are invaluable in helping you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Many should be listed here; for example, "tauro-" > "bull," "ped-" > foot, "agro-" > "field."

Although it's one of the most commonly recognized reference books, the dictionary can actually reduce your need for additional reference sources, depending on the info you need. Remember the dictionary when you need more than just the meaning of a word!

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