“Mac OS X Lion adds polish to the bundled Dictionary app, with new dictionaries and an improved multi-pane interface. The system also improves overall dictionary functions with enhanced Spotlight integration and multitouch support for inline text lookups,” AppleInsider reports.
“The app itself now uses a two pane display, making it easy to reference a list of words, phrases, or Wikipedia entires in alphabetical order, rather than just one definition at a time,” AppleInsider reports. “Additionally, definition functions built into Spotlight now popup with a full definition preview, rather than just displaying the first few words.”
AppleInsider reports, “Double clicking with three fingers on a selected word in any standard app now brings up the inline dictionary, which formerly required selecting ‘Look Up In Dictionary’ from the contextual menu.”
More in the full article, including screenshots, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple defines simplicity – September 26, 2006
Secrets to using Mac OS X Tiger’s built-in Dictionary with Safari – August 10, 2005
I want to express how much I appreciate this development, but I can’t seem to find the words.
LateRegistrant,
Unlike you, I have plenty of words to express myself, but the meaning of this announcement escapes me.
:->
I’m all for more function and less eye candy.
BTW- When are you going to fix image capture so that my Mac can consistently wake up my “supported” Canon scanner if it hasn’t been used for some time. Unplugging a reconnecting just to wake it up ( I use the USB power instead of external power ) is kinda Microsoftian.
This problem happens to more than just my stuff and to more models/brands than mine.
We’re off-topic here but I also wish they’d iron the bugs out of image capture (with my Epson and HP scanners). The problem ruins the user experience of this potentially excellent software.
From what I’ve experience on a MacBook and the latest verison of Snow Leopard, scanning in from our Epson Perfection 1640SU scanner is now done from within Preview. Works the same way just not automatically opening the Image Capture application.
I’ve always wished that OS X’s dictionary also included other languages like French, Spanish, and German. Or at least an API so that devs could plug-in other dictionaries.
They can!
For example : http://www.tekl.de/english/Dictionary_Plugins.html
http://davidtse916.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/adding-dictionaries-to-the-built-in-dictionary-application-in-leopard/
etc….
What do you need an API for? Just place the right file in the right directory: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/clasqm/os-x/extra-dictionaries-for-dict/
Very nice improvements.
I wonder if they’ll include a dictionary in iOS. Or at least an OS wide dictionary service that dictionary apps can be assigned to. It’s kind of annoying now in iOS when I want to look up a word – I have to switch out of the App I’m in to load a dictionary App.
The words are being held incommunicado in a small compound behind the Texas Education Agency’s office on North Congress Avenue. Certain words, such as Jefferson, are being reeducated before being released.
Excellent. Also Darwin, Evolution, Natural Selection, Big Bang…
torture, choice, regulation, climate change, taxes, patriotism, fair, balanced, accurate…
@ L
I have installed Danish, German and French on mine.
I googled and found out how to install. Can’t quite remember where though
Hmm, I’ve searched before and never figured out how to do it.
Back to Google…
How is it that when I go to Appleinsider.com this article is nowhere to be found but the link above does take you to the article?
I’ve noticed this in the past with links to Appleinsider articles from MDN. The article does eventually show up on AI’s home page.
double-clicking with three fingers on a word?!?!?!
Yeah, that’s what I thought……!!!!
As long as it doesn’t say “ouch” it is okay.
Actually, right now you could press Control + Command + “D” to call up inline word lookups in certain aps like Safari. While holding down the key combination, roll the curser over a word. As long as you keep those keys pressed, any word you roll over will show a definition.
That is the coolest thing I have ever seen – I can’t believe I did not know you could do this
I know. I miss this tremendously when on my Winblows POS at work. I use it all the time to check my spelling as Winblows thinks every word is spelled wrong (unless you type it over – then it’s OK with it). You also don’t even need to click on a word – just hover your cursor over it -> cmd-control-d and voila!
news to me, too…and news to my hand too, which is now curled up in claw fashion after trying it out. must have been designed by a guy with three fingers or a very smart theropod, three-fingered birds evolved from the hand of dinosaurs (and you can check the theropod using said technique)
Thanks! Yet another useful and interesting function in Mac OS X!
Very cool. AND crazy fast – much faster load than the right click dictionary.
You da mahn!!
FANTASTIC !
“Mac OS X Lion adds polish to the bundled Dictionary app…”
The Poles will be delighted.
This Appleinsider writer needs a good dictionary.
“definition functions built into Spotlight now popup with a full definition preview…”
Popup is not a verb.
I wish I had the Command-Control-D function in my life. Reading books and newspapers would be so much better.
Lion built-in Dictionary’s popover isn’t a helper app now. It belongs to system frameworks.
http://cl.ly/2t1h1x37170p0t3y3O1q