dic-, dict- +

1. To put into words that are to be written down; to utter, pronounce, or read aloud to a person (something which he/she is to write).
2. To prescribe (a course or object of action); to lay down authoritatively; to order, or command in express terms.
3. To use or practice dictation; to lay down the law, to give orders.

1. The pronunciation of words that are to be written down.
2. The activity of taking down a passage that is read aloud by a teacher as a test of spelling, writing, or language skills.
3. Arbitrary command; the exercise of dictatorship.
4. The action of giving orders authoritatively or categorically.

1. A person exercising absolute authority of any kind or in any sphere; one who authoritatively prescribes a course of action or dictates what is to be done.
2. One who dictates to a writer.

1. A reference to, or typical of, a political ruler with total power: such as, a dictatorial regime.
2. Pertaining to, or characteristic of, dictation; such as, being inclined to dictate or to prescribe the actions of others; imperious; overbearing in tone.

A dictatorial practice, mode of action, or system.

In an overbearingly domineering manner; such as, a dictator.

1. The manner in which anything is expressed in words; choice or selection of words and phrases; wording.
2. A verbal style of writings, speech, or oratory.

A maker of a dictionary; a lexicograher.

1. A book in which one word continually leads to another.
2. A publication that is always changing the subject on every page.
3. A book that is bound to be of use to everyone who needs verbal clarifications except when a definition contains another form of the same word and never explains the meanings of any of the various forms.
4. The universe arranged in alphabetical order.

1. A book dealing with the individual words of a language (or certain specified classes of them), so as to set forth their orthography, pronunciation, signification, and use, their synonyms, derivation, and history, or at least some of these facts: for convenience of reference, the words are arranged in some stated order, now, in most languages, alphabetical; and in larger dictionaries the information given is illustrated by quotations from literature; a word-book, vocabulary, or lexicon.

The word "dictionary" comes from the Latin dictio, “the act of speaking”, and dictionarius, “a collection of words”.

2. A more recent definition for a dictionary is the ordered list stored in and used by a computer; specifically, (a) a list of contents, e.g. of a database; (b) a list of words acceptable to a word-processing program, against which each word of text is checked.

Dictionary sources of information:

1. A publication that is bound to provide a lexicomedy which emphasizes linguicomedy or definitional wit.
2. A source of facetious or humorous definitions.

A reference in which you can not find out how a word is spelled unless you already have a reasonably good idea as to how it is spelled.

One who makes it his business to criticize diction or style in language.

1. A saying or utterance: sometimes used with emphasis upon the fact that it is a mere saying; but more often with the implication of a formal pronouncement claiming or carrying some authority.
2. A formal pronouncement from an authoritative source.
3. A short statement that expresses a general truth or principle.
4. A thing that is generally said; a current saying; a maxim.
5. In Law, an expression of opinion by a judge on a matter of law, which is not the formal resolution or determination of a court.

1. A mark; such as, (") which is used to indicate the word above it should be repeated.
2. Used instead of repeating something that has just been said to indicate that the same thing applies to you; such as, "I was bored with that speech." "Ditto for me, too."
3. The same as stated above or previously.
4. A duplicate; a copy.
5. Etymology: from Tuscan dialect ditto, "(in) the said (month or year)"; from Italian detto, past participle of dire, "to say"; from Latin dicere, "a saying, an expression, a word"; from dic-, stem of dicere, "to speak, to tell, to say".

Originally, "ditto" was used in Italian to avoid the repetition of month names in a series of dates; generalized meaning of "same as above" was first recorded in English in 1678.