Terminology Ph (99 cents) extends the capabilities of a traditional dictionary. While providing standard definitions and synonyms, it also adds additional functionality by allowing access to the web via Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wolfram Alpha and Google. Look no further for your dictionary needs than this application.
The interface is elegant and intuitive, while a simple search box begins your exploration. As you type, a list of words will appear that start with the letters you typed. Tapping on a word will open up a new screen, displaying the part of speech, definition, synonyms and less and more specific terms. It will also usually provide an example sentence using that word. Any of the listed terms can also be tapped to look them up. You can search for even more information about your word by tapping on one of four web-based resources: Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wolfram Alpha and Google. These locations open in a browser window inside the Terminology application.
Every word you look up will remain on screen in a scrollable format. You can tap the “x” to delete a word from the list, or you can tap the star to save a word as a favorite. The bottom of the screen holds a few simple buttons, allowing quick access to the Search Box, Favorites, Recent Searches and Settings. However, the only option in the Settings menu is to toggle the filter for bad words.
There really is only one feature I could see lacking in this application. When typing a word, it would be nice if the app could suggest words of similar spelling, just in case you spell a word incorrectly. For example, I typed “happi” instead of “happy” and the app simply stated that it could not find the word happi. To make this a true dictionary replacement tool, such spelling suggestions need to be included. Otherwise, Terminology is a must-have app for educators, writers or anyone who just wants to increase their vocabulary skills.
