About Online Dictionary

VocabularyShop can get information about the current word you are studying from the online dictionary of your choice.  Just click the Online Info button on the up-right corner of the Dictionary Tab of the Dictionary Dialog, the default web browser of your PC will jump to the definition page of that word to give you the information you need. Below are an example of the Dictionary Tab page and a few examples of word definition page from different online dictionaries.

Dictionary Tab of Dictionary Dialog
Dictionary Tab of the Dictionary Dialog
Online dictionary example 01
Online dictionary example 01
Online dictionary example 02
Online dictionary example 02
Online dictionary example 03
Online dictionary example 03

Common URL Segment

You can choose your favorite online dictionary through the Settings menu. You will need to provide the Common URL Segment of that online dictionary to VocabularyShop.  That Common URL Segment must meet the requirement that the segment plus a valid English word will form a valid URL to reach the definition of that word.  Following are some examples of such Common URL Segment:

  • “https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hello” will reach the definition of the word “hello”, then you should set your online dictionary Common URL Segment for that online dictionary as “https://www.thefreedictionary.com/“.
  • “https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hello”  will reach the definition of the word “hello”, then you should set your online dictionary Common URL Segment for that online dictionary as “https://www.dictionary.com/browse/“.
  • “https://dict.cn/hello” will get the definition of the word “hello”, then you should set your online dictionary Common URL Segment for that online dictionary as “https://dict.cn/“.
  • “https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/hello” will get the definition of the word “hello”, then you should set your online dictionary Common URL Segment for that online dictionary as “https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/“.

If the URL of an online dictionary is structured in different ways, then VocabularyShop will not be able to connect to that online dictionary.