Kids Dictionary

A kids dictionary is one of many kinds of dictionaries, including bilingual, medical, foreign language, rhyming, synonym, antonym, and electronic. Anyone can find a dictionary useful, whether you are a child just learning about language, a student preparing a research paper, a poet looking for rhymes, a teacher helping others learn, or a writer looking for descriptive words. But like all specialty dictionaries, a dictionary which is designed for kids can meet their special educational and reference needs. 

A kids dictionary is simply a dictionary geared towards children. It will have just a few definitions, explained with language that is on their level.

There are several really good kids’ dictionaries online. Following are a few of them.

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

A good kids dictionary online is an edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. It can be found on Yahoo! Kids as one of many resource tools for children.

It includes suggestions for misspelled words and common phrases, and origins of the word. For example, put in the word “fun” and you get four definitions:

• A source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure
• Enjoyment or amusement: have fun at the beach
• Playful, often noisy, activity
• To behave playfully, joke

It also includes two phrases:

• fun fair - An amusement park
• fun house - A building or an attraction in an amusement park or a carnival that features various devices intended to surprise, frighten, bewilder, or amuse

Word Central

A wonderful and useful online kids dictionary is also found at Merriam-Webster Word Central. It has:

• A dictionary
• A thesaurus
• Rhyming words
• Alpha-bot - a cute robot that greets the kids, “Greetings younger humanoids!”
• Game options
• A Build Your Own Dictionary feature

When “fun” is searched, it shows three definitions:

• Someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment
• A good time
• Words or actions that make someone or something an object of unkind laughter.

It includes the synonyms amusement and enjoyment, and a short sentence for each definition.

Phrases shown are:

• make fun of - meaning to make the target of one's laughter
• poke fun at - meaning deride or mock

The thesaurus shows:

• 6 synonyms and 4 antonyms for the adjective “fun”
• 9 synonyms and 9 antonyms for the noun “fun”
• 1 synonym for the verb “fun”

Rhyming words include: bun, done, dun, gun, none, nun, one, pun, run, son, spun, stun, sun, ton, and won.

Wordsmyth

Wordsmyth is a full dictionary where the user decides between three levels to use:

• Beginner's
• Children's
• Advanced

The site also has a feature where quizzes can be created, which would help children learn.

On the Beginner’s level:

• “fun” is a noun
• The definition is “something that amuses, entertains, or pleases
• Synonyms are: amusement, enjoyment, entertainment, and play
• Similar words are: game, joke, recreation, and sport
• Related words are: cheer and play
• Phrase is “make fun of”

On the Children’s level:

• “adjective” was added to the parts of speech
• The definition is “providing enjoyment or amusement”
• Three more synonyms were added
• The antonym “bore” was added
• Five more similar words were added

Defining a Dictionary

Dictionaries list words alphabetically, which is helpful if you are not sure of the spelling of a word. It will tell you a word’s pronunciation and etymology, or origin of the word.

For example:

• The word “dictionary” is pronounced “DIK shuh ner" ee”
• The word comes from the word “dictionarium” in Medieval Latin.
• The Latin word “dictio” means word, with the prefix “”dic” or “dict” meaning “talk” and the suffix “-ary” means “a thing pertaining to.”

Sometimes, a dictionary will give you antonyms and synonyms, and include sentences to help with the definition.

The definition of “dictionary,” according to the kids’ version of the American Heritage Dictionary, is:

“A reference book containing an alphabetical list of words, with information given for each word, usually including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology.”

The Beginner’s dictionary from Wordsmyth, defines “dictionary” as:

“A book that lists the words of a language, with information about their meaning, spelling, and pronunciation.”