Is there an app that can lookup word definition in Android?

ozaz

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Lookup word definition in Android

I moved over from iOS to Android a while ago, and overall am very happy with Android.

However, one iOS feature I miss quite a bit is the system-wide word lookup feature, whereby if you are reading something anywhere in the OS you can select a word and click on define to quickly retrieve the definition from the built in dictionary: http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/06/access-dictionary-ios-look-up-words/

Are there any good apps which add this functionality to Android?

I know of an Android app called "WordLookup" which seeks to emulate this. But I don't really like it because you can't manually control the amount of time the definition stays on screen.

I also know that in Chrome you can select a word and hit the search button to do a web search. This sometimes results in a definition within the Google search results. But the keyword here is "sometimes", and this does not help when you are offline.

I'm surprised that dictionary apps I have tried in Android so far don't offer this functionality via the share menu.

So I was wondering if there is anything else available? Perhaps there is a dictionary app that offers this, but I just have not tried it yet.
 

Rukbat

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

Define Now only works online - it uses internet lookup (which ozaz doesn't want). Otherwise it's pretty good.
 

ozaz

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

Define Now only works online - it uses internet lookup (which ozaz doesn't want). Otherwise it's pretty good.

Just tried it. Yes, I agree it is pretty good, but a shame there is no offline support. I've sent in feedback suggesting offline support.
 

Rukbat

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

It takes some pretty sophisticated programming to compact a dictionary enough to fit into a cellphone. On a website there's tons of storage (especially if you're using someone else's API to access their dictionary - it costs no storage of your own). Apple can afford to throw a dozen programmers at a problem, most developers don't have that number of people in the whole building.
 

ozaz

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

It takes some pretty sophisticated programming to compact a dictionary enough to fit into a cellphone. On a website there's tons of storage (especially if you're using someone else's API to access their dictionary - it costs no storage of your own). Apple can afford to throw a dozen programmers at a problem, most developers don't have that number of people in the whole building.

There are several good offline dictionaries available on Android.
For example, Dictionary.com, WordWeb, Miriam-Webster dictionary, Oxford Dictionary.

The trouble is none of these apps seem to recognise the value of being able to initiate a word search via the Share menu when you're in another app.
 

salmanahmad

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

I also like that functionality of iOS, sadly there is no way to replicate it exactly the way it is on Android just yet.

1418467246773.jpg

However the Merriam Webster dictionary isn't bad, it supports offline definition searching and has a nice UI.
 

ozaz

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

I also like that functionality of iOS, sadly there is no way to replicate it exactly the way it is on Android just yet.

Personally, I don't think it needs to be replicated in the same way it is on iOS (which is what WordLookup and Define Now seem to be trying to do with their floating/overlay windows).

All I think is needed is for the major dictionary apps to make themselves available via the share menu. Then you could share a word to dictionary app and it would launch in normal app window (not a floating window) and automatically search the word. Because Android has a back button it would then be easy to hit back to return to whatever app you were in before using the share menu.
 

B. Diddy

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

Although it's hard to say if it would make any difference, try emailing the developers of various dictionary apps, and suggest that feature!
 

K Alnory

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Re: Lookup word definition in Android

If you download Oxford English Dictionary from the Google play Store, you can then press on a word on any web page etc and it'll give you an option to "look up"
You have to push word
There are three options copy -share- select all
then there are three little dots- push the three little
dots

There will be an option that says -look up

the only downside to this app is that it sometimes pops up when you don't want it to but a workaround is that you sometimes have to just wait a couple seconds and the dictionary will go away you'll see what I mean as you're using it

https://play.google.com/store/apps/....embedded.wireless.oxford.dictionaryofenglish
 

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