Review: WordWeb dictionary is a crossword-puzzle fan's dream

March 12, 2013

There used to be a time when you would reach for the dictionary, knock the dust off it, then run your finger down the page while looking up a mysterious word. But these days, the concept of the print dictionary has fallen by the wayside with dictionary websites and modern desktop alternatives. Desktop program WordWeb can look up words in mere seconds, as well as provide you with plenty of useful related information. When installing, WordWeb gives you its first indication of its environmental concerns by letting you know that you can only use it for free if you take two or fewer commercial flights a year. WordWeb it is free for 30 days, and it continues to be free—provided you meet the company's environmental requirements. In short, you can continue to use WordWeb for free if you take two or fewer commercial flights every year. Any more than that and you need to buy the $19 Pro version of the software. Quite how the company thinks they can enforce such a rule, I have no idea. Nevertheless, it makes for a unique software license. When you install the software (or use the portable version available if you check the option in the advanced settings during installation), just start it up and you will be presented with a simple interface in which you can type in the word you are looking for. Or if you are linguistically inclined one day, you can opt for a random word and learn some interesting new words such as oleaginous, patristics, and skepful. When WordWeb shows you a word, not only will you see the definition, but you will also get the text pronunciation, the audio pronunciation, and then more information which makes this piece of software a crossword puzzle lover's dream – synonyms, similar words, links to the word on dictionary websites such as Wiktionary (and Wikipedia so you can see the word in better context), and related nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030357/review-wordweb-dictionary-is-a-crossword-puzzle-fans-dream.html#tk.rss_reviews