noun
dict
dikt
Dict (noun) means an informal written shortening of dictionary, common in file names, software packages and note-taking. Example: “He shipped the spell-checker with a 60,000-word dict.”
noun
1
informal An informal written shortening of dictionary, common in file names, software packages and note-taking.
"He shipped the spell-checker with a 60,000-word dict."
2
In Python and similar programming languages, a built-in data structure that stores values under unique keys, allowing fast lookup by key rather than by position.
"Store the settings in a dict so you can look each one up by name."
"The function returns a dict mapping each user id to a list of orders."
How to use dict
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA store of things you look up by name instead of by number.
When to use it
Technical and informal; standard in Python documentation and code, rare outside computing.
Common pairings
a Python dict
dict comprehension
nested dict
convert to a dict
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He shipped the spell-checker with a 60,000-word _____.
Etymology
A shortening of dictionary.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for dict
See all rhymes for dict →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dict and a list?
A list holds items in order and you reach them by position, such as items[0]. A dict holds key-value pairs and you reach a value by its key, such as user['email']. Use a list when order matters and a dict when you need to look things up by name.
Are dicts ordered?
In Python, dicts have kept insertion order since version 3.7, so iterating over one returns keys in the order they were added. That is a property of the language version, not of the idea of a dictionary in general.
What is the meaning of dict?
"dict" (noun) means an informal written shortening of dictionary, common in file names, software packages and note-taking.
What is another word for dict?
Other words for "dict" include dictionary, hash map, associative array, hash table.
