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I spend most of my time in Gemini as of late, but I still need to get on the bigweb quite often.
I often look up words in dictionaries for SpellBinding. I write code, and quite often need to look up some algorithm or library. I do a bit of research into obscure datastructures and computer languages. And sometimes I just like to read a bit of hackernews...
Looking at merriam-webster.com with lynx is a bit hard, but I suppose I can deal with it to avoid the browser. I need to figure out the difference between lynx, links, links2, etc.
Here is how I look up words when I am offline:
bjorn@babylon:~/project/zettel$ cat library/texts/reference/webster-1913.txt | grep -A 20 MUCILAGE MUCILAGE Mu"ci*lage, n. Etym: [F., from L. mucilago a musty juice, fr. mucus mucus, slime. See Mucus.] 1. (Bot. Chem.) Defn: A gummy or gelatinous substance produced in certain plants by the action of water on the cell wall, as in the seeds of quinces, of flax, etc. 2. An aqueous solution of gum, or of substances allied to it; as, medicinal mucilage; mucilage for fastening envelopes. MUCILAGINOUS Mu`ci*lag"i*nous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. mucilagineux. See Mucilage.] 1. Partaking of the nature of, or resembling, mucilage; moist, soft, and viscid; slimy; ropy; as, a mucilaginous liquid. 2. Of, pertaining to, or secreting, mucilage; as, the mucilaginous glands.
How does this work? Well, it turns the 1913 Webster's Dictionary is in the public domain, and available on Project Gutenberg:
Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)
Thought others might find this interesting. I learned about the availability of this dictionary, and ran across some arguments for its merits, in this blog post discussing John McPhee.
A book where you can enter “sport” and end up with “a diversion of the field” — this is in fact the opposite of what I’d known a dictionary to be. This is a book that transmutes plain words into language that’s finer and more vivid and sometimes more rare. No wonder McPhee wrote with it by his side. No wonder he looked up words he knew, versus words he didn’t, in a ratio of “at least ninety-nine to one.”
jsomers.net: You’re probably using the wrong dictionary