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Dictionary Clients

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respiranto edited this page May 4, 2018 · 4 revisions

Client Applications for Reading FreeDict Dictionaries

This is an overview of the most common Dictionary software. The first sections will discuss software which can read FreeDict dictionaries, whereas there is a section at the end dedicated to unsupported platforms.

For the DICT format, there are numerous clients available, so this page only list the most interesting for FreeDict. For a more extensive list, see the DICT wiki has a full list. See also DICT servers.

When adding new entries please try to:

  • Check if it's in the section of unsupported clients and move the entry if it works with FreeDict.
  • Add license information
  • Add list of supported formats if it doesn't come with FreeDict dictionaries included.

Web

Dict, the Firefox/Thunderbird extension (offers right-mouse-button lookup)

The freshest FreeDict dictionaries are available from dict.uni-leipzig.de and amos.klf.uw.edu.pl (you need to set one of them as the default server in the configuration options of the extension)

GNU/Linux and Windows

Dictd

  • The dictd is a service to provide a dictionary server for both local and online usage. It comes with a simple command-line client called "dict". Its simplicity make it suitable for quick testing of dictionaries.
  • Debian and derivatives (as Ubuntu): apt install dict-client
    • optionally sudo apt install dictd for the server)

Gnome-Dictionary https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Dictionary

  • default GNOME desktop dictionary
  • available on most GNU/Linux distributions (Debian/Ubuntu: gnome-dictionary)
  • uses the dictd server for word lookup

GoldenDict http://goldendict.org

  • supports a range of dictionary formats (e.g. DICT and Stardict)
  • supports lookup in wiktionary and other online dictionary sources
  • available for Windows and GNU/Linux (packaged for Debian/Ubuntu as well)
  • does not require a (dict) server
  • License: GPL (in contrast to their Android app)

(X)Emacs packages (ToDo: are they still usable):

XFCE4 Dictionary https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications/xfce4-dict

  • Allows to search different dictionary services, including a local dictd instance (see above).
  • Features a plugin for the XFCE panel.

Unsupported Dictionary Software

These client applications can't read FreeDict dictionaries or the support has not been tested, yet. When you can confirm that FreeDict works on one of these, please move the entry to our list of [dictionary clients](Dictionary Clients).

Android

DictionaryForMID

GoldenDict for Android

  • Multi format (DICT, Stardict and more)
  • License: non-free (commercial)

QuickDic restored

  • Custom format. Very simple files can be generated from CSVs. How to use more complex data is not documented. Dictionaries do not differentiate the the translation directions.
  • Apache License 2.0
  • Source code: https://github.com/rdoeffinger/Dictionary

SimiDic

  • Custom format, some form of SQL backend, so table-based
  • License: GPL 3
  • Seems to be inactive (last update according to Google Play: January 15, 2014)

QDict

Aard 2

  • General purpose dictionary for Wikipedia and Wiktionary pages and similar data sets.
  • Uses the slob format
  • License: GPL 3
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