Add more dictionaries to your Mac

Introduction

Dictionary.app is a handy application that comes with OS X, but it only comes with an English dictionary--not for long!

This tutorial will help you install additional dictionaries inside of your Mac OS X Dictionary.app in a matter of seconds. See for yourself:

Click to Enlarge

Step 1: Downloading dictionaries

Naturally, you'll need to get a dictionary in order to install it. We've prepared* a number of dictionaries** for you, ready to go (see below for drop-down list):

English language dictionaries:

• 
  Oxford English Collocation Dictionary
• 
  Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (P)

Other language dictionaries:

• 
  French Dictionary
• 
  Dictionnaire française de Littreé (1863-1877) (P)

Translation dictionaries:

• 
  English to French Dictionary
• 
  French to English Dictionary
• 
  English to German Dictionary (P)
• 
  German to English Dictionary (P)
• 
  English to Latin Dictionary
• 
  Latin to English Dictionary
• 
  English to Spanish Dictionary (P)
• 
  Spanish to English Dictionary

Select a dictionary to download: Oxford English Collocation Dictionary Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) French Dictionary Dictionnaire française de Littreé (1863-1877) English to French Dictionary English to German Dictionary English to Latin Dictionary English to Spanish Dictionary French to English Dictionary German to English Dictionary Latin to English Dictionary Spanish to English Dictionary

Note: Dictionaries marked with "(P)" include pronounciations with their entries.

* Dictionaries were adapted to Mac OS X using DictUnifier, following the instructions on this website.

** The dictionaries in this tutorial are from StarDict, and they are free to use under the GNU General Public Licence.

Original flag images by ~BlueCup at deviantART

Step 2: Installing dictionaries

We've made it almost too easy to install these dictionaries by putting together a little application for you:

Add a Dictionary (SpeedofMac)

All you need to do is drag your new dictionary onto this application--and that's it! We've already reformatted and renamed the dictionaries for you.

If you prefer to install dictionaries manually, simply drop a .dictionary file into your ~/Library/Dictionaries folder.