Reverse lookup dictionary?

Question

Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't think of the word itself. (That happens more as I get older, I'm afraid!) For an example, not for my main point, there's a word for a piece of land that is a peninsula at low tide, and an island at high tide. I don't know what that word is, nor how to find it.
The closest tool I can think of would be a thesaurus, but that's not going to work every time.
Is there such a thing as a "reverse lookup dictionary" for the English language? When I typed that phrase into a search engine, I got a lot of stuff that's more appropriate for computer usage than English language.
Thank you for all replies.
Ted Shoemaker

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't think of the word itself. (That happens more as I ... phrase into a search engine, I got a lot of stuff that's more appropriate for computer usage than English language.[/nq]
Sure. There's an online version at
http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
(I put in 'peninsula, island, tide' and got too many hits to follow up, though most of them were names of geographical locations) There are printed versions if you want to lay out money - http://www.wordtree.com/ ,
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2FA26787 ,
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y10B62787
In fact, if you put ( reverse dictionary ) into Google, you'll get all you desire and more.

John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't think of the word itself. (That happens more as I ... low tide, and an island at high tide. I don't know what that word is, nor how to find it.[/nq]
A friend of mine told me that he went to a great restaurant the night before.
Which restaurant was it? I asked.
He said, I can't remember. What's the name of the flower that's red and has thorns?
Do you mean a rose?
Yeah, that's it. Rose, he called, what's the name of the restaurant we went to last night?
[nq:1]The closest tool I can think of would be a thesaurus, but that's not going to work every time. Is ... a lot of stuff that's more appropriate for computer usage than English language. Thank you for all replies. Ted Shoemaker[/nq]
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years

Usenet · Answer

meirman filted:
[nq:2]Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't ... know what that word is, nor how to find it.[/nq]
[nq:1]A friend of mine told me that he went to a great restaurant the night before. Which restaurant was it? ... a rose? Yeah, that's it. Rose, he called, what's the name of the restaurant we went to last night?[/nq]
[nq:2]The closest tool I can think of would be a thesaurus, but that's not going to work every time.[/nq]
I need a search engine I can access without a computer...one morning it took me ten minutes to explain to a waitress what I wanted brought to the table...I could tell her it was red, that it was for my eggs ("runny side up"), that it came from Louisiana, and that it was associated with the name "McIlhenny"...but no amount of mental effort could dredge up the word "tabasco", nor did any of the above clues seem to help the waitress figure out my meaning..r

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]meirman filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]A friend of mine told me that he went to ... the name of the restaurant we went to last night?[/nq]
[nq:1]I need a search engine I can access without a computer...one morning it took me ten minutes to explain to ... up the word "tabasco", nor did any of the above clues seem to help the waitress figure out my meaning..r[/nq]
Buy the DVD of 'Memento'. Watch several times & adapt appropriate methods for your lifestyle. If you'd taken a Polaroid of a bottle of tabasco when you were in your right mind and written on the back 'For eggs', you wouldn't be in this predicament now. Or you could have tattooed 'Eggs - Tabasco' on your thigh with a knitting needle and a bottle of Watermans Ink. Or you could hire Joe Pantoliano to accompany you everywhere.
John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]meirman filted: I need a search engine I can access ... clues seem to help the waitress figure out my meaning..r[/nq]
[nq:1]Buy the DVD of 'Memento'. Watch several times & adapt appropriate methods for your lifestyle. If you'd taken a Polaroid ... you could have tattooed 'Eggs - Tabasco' on your thigh with a knitting needle and a bottle of Watermans Ink.[/nq]
I think that a minder , as below, is the only solution, actually. In the suggestions above, there is always going to be the problem of remembering where your reminder is, or recognizing the appropriate time to lower your trousers, and then remembering why you lowered them. (You do remember to lower them at other appropriate times, I hope.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I need a search engine I can access without a computer...one morning it took me ten minutes to explain to ... up the word "tabasco", nor did any of the above clues seem to help the waitress figure out my meaning..r[/nq]
You might want to see if "runny side up" is listed anywhere. A fried egg is present to me "sunny side up". The sunny part can be runny if the order specifies this.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't ... stuff that's more appropriate for computer usage than English language.[/nq]
[nq:1]Sure. There's an online version at http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml (I put in 'peninsula, island, tide' and got too many hits to follow ... , http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y10B62787 In fact, if you put ( reverse dictionary ) into Google, you'll get all you desire and more.[/nq]
There are several. The good one is from Reader's Digest.

Illustrated Reverse Dictionary: Find the Words on the Tip of Your Tongue . Reader's Digest Association and Walter D. Glanze. 1991. ISBN 089577352X. Hardcover.
Paperback version, 1997, adds an author, John Ellison Kahn, and is ISBN 089577951X.
Cece

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Buy the DVD of 'Memento'. Watch several times & adapt appropriate methods for your lifestyle. If you'd taken a Polaroid ... you were in your right mind and written on the back 'For eggs', you wouldn't be in this predicament now.[/nq]
What if he's a farmer and the chickens aren't laying? Would he add a dollop of Tobasco to the feed?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I need a search engine I can access without a ... clues seem to help the waitress figure out my meaning..r[/nq]
[nq:1]You might want to see if "runny side up" is listed anywhere. A fried egg is present to me "sunny side up". The sunny part can be runny if the order specifies this.[/nq]
Oh, come on, Tony.
Keep your funny side up, up!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Suppose I know the meaning of a word, but can't think of the word itself. (That happens more as I ... a lot of stuff that's more appropriate for computer usage than English language. Thank you for all replies. Ted Shoemaker[/nq]
There are several. The good one is from Reader's Digest: Reverse Illustrated Dictionary.
Cece

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