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Dictionary Day

History · October 16

Dictionary Day is about the books and apps that collect our words, explain what they mean, and show how to spell and say them.

Dictionary Day falls on Saturday, October 16, 2027. That is 354 days away.

A dictionary is a list of words in alphabetical order, each one followed by what it means. Most also show how to spell a word, how to say it, and what part of speech it is. Many go further and give a short history of where the word came from.

Opening a printed dictionary rarely goes to plan. You look up one word, and the eye drifts to its neighbors on the page. Thin paper, tiny type, and guide words at the top of each page help you find your place, though not always the word you came for. Online dictionaries are quicker, and some show which words people are looking up most.

Dictionaries describe how a language is used, so they change over time. Editors add new words as they come into common use and note when older meanings fade. In the United States, many people know the name Noah Webster, whose dictionary helped settle American spellings such as color and center.

People mark the day in quiet, wordy ways. Classrooms hold spelling games or ask students to find a word they have never seen. Readers pull an old dictionary off the shelf and browse, and families trade odd definitions at dinner.

The entry for a short, everyday word like set or run is often one of the longest in the book, because small words pick up many meanings.

Ways to celebrate

• Open a dictionary to a random page and learn one new word.
• Look up the origin of your favorite word.
• Share an unusual word and its definition with a friend.
• Play a dictionary guessing game with made up definitions.
• Check a word you use often but have never looked up.

Dates

All national days on October 16

Also on October 16

• National Liqueur Day
• National Boss's Day
• Sweetest Day

Categories: History days